The Beast and the Maiden
by TheWardtortle
Summary: Cole MacGrath wanted to fix his mistakes, just like Kessler. But in trying he was carried further away than he wanted. Now in a new world, how would the people of Remnant treat him? And how would he treat them? inFamous/RWBY crossover. M rating to be safe. Spoilers for inFAMOUS 1 & 2 and RWBY.
1. The Beast and the Maiden

New Marais burned. Screams and explosions filled the sky as the Beast continued his battle against the rebels and militia who stood in his way. But all of this was of no concern to Cole MacGrath. Atop New Marais' cathedral, a vicious battle of Conduits ended. With a final surge of crimson electricity through his Amp, he executed the Napalm Conduit, his friend and recent enemy Nix. As the life of the dark-skinned Conduit cut out, a humming metallic orb rolled from her grasp. The Ray Field Inhibitor, or RFI, a device designed to destroy the Beast was the source of the conflict. Instead of killing just the Beast, it would kill all Conduits and cure a plague caused by its power giving counterpart, the Ray Sphere. Cole refused to let all Conduits die just to cure the plague. But Nix had sided with humanity, not wanting to become another nobody in the world.

And so the RFI rolled from her grasp, stopping short of the feet of an overweight man. Cole looked up from his deceased opponent and sadness grew in his heart. Zeke Dunbar, his friend, ally and brother in all but blood, stood against him. Zeke reached down and picked up the RFI, examining it from behind his sunglasses. He looked up and took in appearance the twisted man that was a brother to him. Cole's actions had turned his skin pale, his facial scar under his right eye and his veins more prominent, and both his lightning and his clothing were crimson. Cole's Amp, a forked weapon Zeke built to aid Cole was rusted and darkened. Cole stepped up to his friend, emotionally torn at what he was about to do.

"Half as long…" Cole stated in his gravelly voice, sorrow lacing each word.

"…Twice as bright" Concluded Zeke sadly. Raising the large revolver he held in his right hand, Zeke pointed it at Cole.

"I gotta try."

"I know." Cole replied with a sad smile.

*BANG*

The revolver kicked in Zeke's hand, a bullet which would have severely injured a normal man ripping into Cole. But the Prime Conduit only flinched, snarling a little as crimson electricity arced over his arms. Cole retaliated, firing a bolt of electricity in the form of a scythe blade. The Scythe Bolt hit Zeke, making the man stumble and grunt in pain, but he persevered and raised his revolver again. Another bolt hit Zeke, dropping him to a knee, but he could not give up. The revolver rose once more, yet no bolt came. Cole stood with his arm aimed and regret in his eyes, he could not bring himself to fire another bolt as he watched his oldest friend dying. Zeke struggled onto one knee, using all his remaining strength to aim his pistol, saw Cole's hesitation and fired again, hitting Cole square in the chest. This was the last push Cole needed as he stumbled back from the bullet, another Scythe Bolt cut Zeke down, finally extinguishing his life.

With heavy steps, Cole walked up to his dead friend's body and squatted before it. Resting his Amp in his arms, Cole bowed his head in sorrow and paid his respects to Zeke. All the Prime Conduit could hear was the humming of the RFI as he remembered the good times he spent with his companion, times he could never have again. Retrieving the device from Zeke's hand, he stood tall and stepped away, looking up as earth-shaking footsteps neared him. The Beast, John White, towered above the cathedral with Lucy Kuo, a fellow Conduit appearing in an icy mist on the rooftop too. Both took in the sight of death before them, then looked towards Cole, who held the RFI. With the triad of the pro-Conduit forces together, Cole dropped the RFI down and extended his Amp, electricity arcing between the prongs.

"AAARGH!" With all the sorrow and anger inside him enhancing his Conduit strength, Cole swung down on the RFI, smashing it in one. He breathed heavily. Finally, they had won.

" **Cole, I can't…"** echoed the voice of John in Cole's mind. **"… I can't do this anymore."** Both Cole and Kuo looked up at John as he leaned on the cathedral and lowered his head.

"What? After all of this?" Questioned Cole, out of breath.

" **No!"** The Beast looked to Cole. **"I believe in the plan, but I'm so tired. I've had enough killing. I should have died a long time ago."** John was right, he should have died when the Ray Sphere was destroyed in Empire City. Instead, it forced him to become The Beast. What Cole refused to accept was that John would give up now.

"John…"

" **But I know you."** John interrupted. **"If I gave you the power, you would see it through."**

Without warning John transferred his powers to Cole. Raw Conduit power surged as John gave upon his life, creating a devastating blast which flattened New Marais. In the aftermath stood only the cathedral, Cole, and Kuo. All around the wreck of a city, Cole could feel new Conduits awakening. All this power John had, and Cole saw the incredible potential he now wielded.

' _I can do anything.'_ Cole thought as he regulated his new powers slowly. ' _Anything_.'

Regret filled Cole as he glanced at Zeke's body, left untouched from the blast. In Empire City they had helped people, Cole becoming a paragon of good. But in New Marais, the defeat at the hands of John made Cole bitter, selfish, and blind to who he was. And now he reaped what he had sown, unable to go back and change things. But one face flashed through his mind. A familiar, old face. Kessler. The alternate self of Cole who travelled back in time to fix his mistakes. If Kessler could perform such a feat, Cole could too, and with the powers of The Beast he could succeed where Kessler failed. Cole knew about the plague and The Beast's true nature. Most of all, he could undo the wrongs his past self would commit: New Marais, Nix, Zeke, Trish…

The selfish thought of seeing her again spurred Cole to enact this plan. He only needed to explain it to Kuo. The Ice Conduit had recovered from the blast, blinking in an icy mist next to Cole.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah. But this power has given me an idea." Kuo raised an eyebrow at the new Beast.

"I have a feeling I'm not going to like this idea."

"Just… hear me out." Cole stated. "You remember Kessler, right?"

"The leader of the First Sons? Of course, John infiltrated them in Empire City."

"Kessler was more than that. Kessler was another version of me." Cole explained bluntly.

"What?!" Kuo reeled back in surprise.

"In his timeline he failed to beat John, an evil version of John anyway. So he used one last power. One way time travel."

"How do you know this?!" Kuo asked, confused.

"Kessler showed me just before he died. He could… transfer his memories to anyone through contact." Cole reached out and put his fingers to the sides of Kuo's temple. "Like so."

Kuo's mind was flooded with Kessler memories, or at least the relevant ones. Breaking free, Kuo backpedalled and screamed at Cole.

"It won't work Cole! That was one way travel! You'd leave me to fight non-Conduits in this reality."

"I am _more_ than Kessler! I am The Beast!" Cole shouted back. Controlling himself, Cole's voice softened. "Maybe, _just_ maybe I can amplify my powers to rewind all this, but exist alongside Kessler and myself."

"This is crazy Cole!" Kuo stopped, then her expression saddened. "But I cannot stop you, and honestly… I don't want to."

Cole smiled, grateful she understood, reaching out and hugging her. "Thanks… Lucy."

Kuo returned the embrace. "Go. But come find me if it works. And show me your memories."

"I will." The two Conduits released each other, separating as Cole took one last look at Zeke.

"I love you brother, and I hope to see you soon."

With the parting words, Cole flared up his power. The cathedral cracked and groaned under the pressure of Cole's power. The strain on Cole was greater though. He could feel himself and reality tearing apart as he focused all of his power into turning back time. And in a blast more devastating than the first, Cole MacGrath was gone.

 **?**

Weightlessness was all Cole felt as he opened his grey eyes. And a void greeted them. Instantly Cole realised something was wrong, his body ached and he did not find himself in New Marais or Empire City. Looking round, all he saw was endless black, except for one, fiery figure.

"John?" Cole asked the figure, who materialised into the human form of John White, wearing a red suit jacket and trousers, but no shirt underneath.

"Yes, though I did not expect to see you here Cole." John's voice was human, a comforting change to the echoing telepathy of The Beast **.**

"Where exactly is here?"

"A void for The Beast." John answered, unmoving from his cross-legged position. "It is where I used to come to rebuild myself, especially after you nuked me."

"So why are you here now? You died when you gave me your powers." As much as the friendly face of John helped Cole, his presence was not a good sign.

"One moment." John bowed his head, flaring a little. "I… see."

"You see what?"

"Your choice of path has disrupted reality, allowing my existence to continue." The Prime Conduit wasn't entirely sure what that meant.

"And what does that do for me?" John sighed, extending out his legs to 'stand up'.

"Questions and questions does this predicament entail." Stated John like an actor.

"I never took you for a dramatic man." Cole quipped with a smirk.

"I'm not. I just felt like lightening the mood." Stepping forward, John closed the gap, and soon the two Conduits were within arm's reach of each other. Grey and crimson eyes stared at each other as John spoke once more.

"Whatever you did has ripped apart reality. So what I do now may not have the… desired effects." The original Beast placed his hands on Cole's shoulders. Power surged between the two, giving them some time to say their goodbyes.

"Find what you have lost, and rediscover who you are Cole." The Prime Conduit blinked, confused.

"And what have I-" Cole's question was never finished as he vanished from the void.

John lowered his hands and smiled. "Compassion. For compassion is the basis of morality."

 **?**

"-lost?" Blinking several times, Cole realised that John had already teleported him. Empire City's saviour was infuriated that John would just warp him without saying a proper goodbye. Rage did not last in Cole's system for long, because rather than the bustling Empire City, he was towered over by trees. Something was horribly wrong, and it wasn't the splitting headache Cole received from no electricity sources nearby. Not that Cole could complain about his surroundings, the forest was beautiful and calm. A nice change of scenery concrete and wires. Good things never last however, as gunshots rang out in the distance.

' _Dammit'_ Complained Cole mentally as he began running towards the commotion. A thunder storm eased Cole's aching as he sprinted into the field ahead. Yet Cole was not ready for what he saw. A woman wearing a white blouse with a brown vest, also she wore golden armoured, heeled boots. Suspending herself high in the sky, she summoned lightning just like his Ionic Storm. Two figures dodged each strike, moving adeptly beneath the girl. As the storm faded, Cole's headache returned, but he ignored it. More gunfire sounded from the figures below, yet the bullets hit nothing and were deflected.

' _How?'_ Cole wondered. _'Those bullets went straight at her and they did nothing. Is that woman a Conduit?'_

Suddenly tree leaves rushed past Cole and circled the woman in the sky, freezing over with a wave of her hand.

' _Electrokinesis, Cryokinesis and Telekinesis. This girl is powerful!'_ Even Cole was not capable of more than two forms of manipulation, and he had to use a fancy machine to get Nix's power. The frozen leaves rained down on the two figures, and should have cut them to shreds. Amazingly the two were relatively unharmed. And they were not alone. Sprinting down the path was a third assailant, clad in a red dress with two swords on her back. Seeing a new enemy, the woman in the sky launched a fireball at her from thin air, adding pyrokinesis to her list of powers. This attack did very little as the crimson woman jumped over the ball and summoned shards of what seemed like glass. Returning the shards in similar fashion to the leaves, the crimson woman knocked the tanned woman from the sky, creating a small crater where she bounced off the soil.

Recovering quickly, the tanned girl fended off her assailants in close combat with expertise, but Cole watched as the girl was hit by an explosion at her feet. Screaming in pain, the girl looked unhurt, but was visibly exhausted. Unable to watch any longer, Cole drew his Amp and sprinted to help the girl. He thought his help would be unnecessary as the girl surprised the trio with a blast of air. The grey-haired teen launched, mechanical feet first at the girl, only to be shocked with a lightning bolt. Turning, a fireball launched into the ground near the green-haired girl, which Cole thought was odd given the girl was clearly in front of her. Correcting her aim, the multi-powered girl hit her opponent dead on, knocking her down.

Closing in the distance with Amp drawn wasn't Cole's greatest idea, as the girl he aimed to save identified him as another threat. Lightning struck Cole's chest, flooring him, but powering him up. Rolling back and pushing himself up, Cole heard the girl gasp in pain. Bolting forward again, he saw the arrow protruding from the girl's back. She was restrained as the crimson girl put on a pure white glove and aimed her hand at her captive.

Cole screamed at himself. _'Fuck, I'm not going to reach her in time!'_ Then Cole came up with his worst idea ever. Crackling with blood red electricity, the Prime Conduit launched a lightning tether at the hand which wore the white glove, Cole yanked the hand towards him, only to see the scarab creature in the girl's palm squirt a black substance. It latched to Cole's arm and he screamed out in pain. The sensation was just like when The Beast drained him in Empire City, but ten times more soul-tearing and less crushing. Cole felt Nix's powers leaving him and flowing along the substance to the girl. The pain did not last as the tether between him and the Crimson girl was severed. Glancing up, Cole caught a glimpse of a grey-garbed man with a large sword. Cole's body did not want to remain conscious though. Between his discussion with John, the headache and the excruciating draining, Cole collapsed, welcoming the darkness.

* * *

 **I love the inFAMOUS series, it is definitely my favourite game series. The thought for this fic came across my mind while I was writing RCHD (which I'm still waiting for ships from you lovely people.)**

 **But rather than start closer to initiation, I thought I'd throw in a curveball with Amber.**

 **Either ways, I hope you enjoyed, please leave reviews, and I'll see you soon.**

 **Wardtortle, out!**


	2. A New World

**Wardtortle back with a rapid chapter!**

 **Shoutout to Dog for his review, and I'll explain a little more about it after the chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

" _The readings we get from him are exceptional Professor."_

…

" _I'm not comfortable with it Oz, but it's your choice. Just know I won't be here to help."_

…

" _Thank you, whoever you are. I owe you so much."_

* * *

 **?**

Consciousness ebbed and flowed within Cole, but the Prime Conduit could not be kept down for long. Soon his electric sense stirred him awake. The sheer quantity of electricity around Cole as he woke startled him. Bolting up once he could move, Cole surged onto his feet with his crimson electricity arcing off him. Machines blared and sparked in the presence of the Conduit's electrokinesis. This noise only served to disorient Cole further. Ripping the pads and cables from his body made Cole realise he was in a hospital of some kind. The room smelled of disinfectant, and now smoke as the machines around him destroyed themselves under the pressure of his power. Not wanting to be blown up alongside the machines, Cole drained every electrical source around him rapidly. It felt like he had just stuffed himself with food, because whatever these machines ran off of, they carried a lot of power.

Every alarm and sparking sound stopped, giving Cole time to set himself straight. First he noticed he was only in his underwear, but his clothes, backpack and Amp were nowhere to be seen. Triggering his Radar Pulse, Cole felt out the layout of the building he was in through its wiring. A massive complex spanned out around him, not military in design, but more of a hospital or school. Scanning the complex had distracted Cole from something else, a door clicking open. In walked a female nurse cautiously, surveying the destruction and eventually locking her eyes on Cole. Witnessing the pale man, who stood with electricity arcing of him terrified her. Scared beyond reason, she screamed and ran. With a satisfying crack of the neck, Cole took a few steps out into the corridor. As he looked both ways, a strange man in a green suit and scarf walked towards him. The man wore round glasses, carried a cane and a mug, and seemed completely unfazed by the screaming nurse.

"Awake at last I see." Said the man calmly, sipping from his mug. The man's demeanour pissed Cole off, he wanted answers.

Cole snarled, "Who are you? And why was I hooked up like a goddamn lab rat?"

"I am Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy. And those machines were medical equipment to monitor your health."

"Bullshit!" Shouted Cole. "That was not hospital medical equipment, it is way too advanced."

"I do pride myself on having the best equipment at my school." Ozpin took another sip. "Tell me, do you know where you are?"

"No…" Electricity sparked off Cole's right arm as he aimed it at Ozpin. "… but I have a feeling you'll tell me once I beat it out of you."

A Scythe Bolt ripped its way through the narrow corridor towards Ozpin, shattering windows and overloading the lights. Ozpin merely raised his cane, struck the bolt, and it dissipated.

' _Impossible!'_ Thought old man had deflected Cole's electricity with his cane so casually, and it infuriated him. Bolt after bolt tore down the corridor at Ozpin, but again and again Ozpin blocked them. In rage, Cole charged up a Hellfire Rocket, but his right arm seared in pain. Dropping to his knees, the Prime Conduit held his shaking arm. Nix's powers were lost, stripped from him as Cole noticed the dark scarring on his arm. A woman in a red dress flashed through his mind, and Cole realised she had stripped him of his napalm manipulation. Confused and extremely pissed off, Cole marched on Ozpin, supressing him with bolts. Close enough to not miss, Cole used a Punch Blast, a powerful, concentrated wave of electricity. Beacon's Headmaster was sent sprawling, but was not down for long. Ozpin expressed determination as he rose up, gripping his cane like a sword. A powerful Conduit and a legendary Huntsman were set to clash, but it never happened.

"STOP!" Screamed a female voice behind Cole.

' _Such a familiar voice.'_ Thought Cole as he turned to look behind him. A tanned girl with brown eyes and short, straight brown hair appeared behind Cole. The same girl he saved in the forest, wearing the same clothing he saw her in before. Unlike the man in front of Cole, her face was pleading. Cole did not know why, but he stopped, for her, he stopped. Finally, the strain on Cole's body caught up. Adrenaline faded and Cole dropped to a knee.

Ozpin addressed the woman, then Cole. "Thank you Amber. Perhaps now that you've got that out of your system, we can talk Mr?"

Cole wanted to speak his name as he gasped for air, but he did not trust the people around him. Then an idea came to him.

"Kessler. My name is Kessler." Cole stated as he recuperated.

"First or last name?" Ozpin inquired.

"Only name." Snapped Cole.

"I see." Mused Ozpin verbally. "As I said before, I am Professor Ozpin. And the lady behind you is Amber Keziah. I believe you are somewhat acquainted."

"Yeah… something like that." Cole answered, recalling his 'attempt' at rescue.

Amber then found the time to speak up. "I should thank you Kessler. Without your intervention I would have…" Her voice trailed off at the thought of her attackers.

"No need to thank me. I heard you the first time." Shocked, Amber backpedalled a little, a light blush on her face. Out of the corner of his eye, Cole noticed Ozpin typing into a small tablet like nothing just happened. An eyebrow twitched at the sight of Ozpin nonchalantly tapping away on the tablet.

"Hey!" Called out Cole to Ozpin, the Headmaster looking up over his glasses. "You owe me answers!"

"I don't believe I do Kessler. I am willing to trade though. After you've retrieved your clothing of course." Ozpin nodded at Cole's almost nudity, prompting Cole to clench his fist and hold back punching the man. Guided by the now less terrified nurse, Cole recovered his clothing, backpack and his Amp. Thankfully everything looked untampered with.

"What now?" He asked Ozpin in his usual dry, gravelly voice.

Ozpin gestured with his now spare hand, the mug of coffee broken. "Follow me please, you as well Amber." Amber and Cole exchanged glances before following close behind. The general mood was one of tension. It was at moments like these that Cole missed Zeke's energetic personality.

' _Zeke…'_ The memory of his best friend wounded Cole deeply, subconsciously forcing him to bow his head in shame. Amber noticed the pained look on Cole's face, empathy overpowering the fact this 'Kessler' had just tried to severely injure Ozpin.

"Kessler?" Cole's eyes never left the floor, he was so absorbed in his regret that his current situation became insignificant.

"Kessler." Amber spoke more forcefully, gain a flick of grey eyes in her direction, only to return to the floor. Rather than push her luck, Amber kept quiet, but she could tell that something was haunting the pale man next to her. Minutes passed in awkward silence between the two, so as Ozpin entered his office and sat down, he broke the ice.

"Now, we started off on the wrong foot, but I believe we can come to an agreement."

"Sure." Replied Cole plainly. Another awkward silence ensued, but Ozpin was determined to get answers.

"Perhaps you could explain why I have no records of you, Kessler."

"First things first, you called this place Beacon Academy, where exactly are we?" Eyebrows were raised by both Amber and Ozpin.

"I'm a little surprised you don't know of Beacon Academy, it is the prestigious Huntsman and Huntress training school of Vale."

"Vale? Huntsman and Huntresses? Never heard of them." Gears grinded in Cole's head as he tried to process the reasons for his situation. Then it clicked as he recounted his conversation with John.

" _Whatever you did has ripped apart reality. So what I do now may not have the… desired effects."_ Out of all the ridiculous possibilities that Cole could have caused with his attempt at time travel, he had travelled… dimensions?

"I've really screwed up haven't I, John?" Ozpin and Amber looked on bewildered as Cole muttered to himself, one hand on his forehead.

"Maybe you could enlighten us on your… screw up?" Asked Ozpin. Cole's grey eyes moved to Ozpin, then he sighed.

"I'm no physicist but… what do you know of multiverse theory?" Amber became even further confused, while Ozpin narrowed his eyes.

"You mean the possibility of there being infinite realities, no one reality being the same."

"I guess that is a better way than I'd put it. Let's just say I made a pretty big mistake trying to fix my other mistakes. Then boom! I'm in a forest where I hear gunshots."

"As ludicrous as you sound, your attack on me with electric magic just like Amber's persuades me otherwise."

Cole chuckled, developing into full blown fits of laughter. "Magic?! Nonono, it isn't magic. Good joke though, I haven't laughed in a while." Based on the fact that they labelled his powers as magic, Cole assumed this reality had yet to discover Conduits, or had none. But Amber pushed Cole's opinion towards the former.

"Then what exactly are you, Kessler?" Inquired Ozpin, intrigued.

"In basic terms, a walking battery. But if you want specifics, I'm a Conduit."

"A conduit? Like the electrical part?" Amber added, involving herself into the conversation.

"Capital c on Conduit. I'm an evolutionary mutation for humanity which allowed us to develop superhuman capabilities. Like you." Cole pointed at Amber. Activating his Radar Sense, Amber was scanned by Cole for the Conduit gene, but he saw nothing.

"I can assure you that what Amber wields is magic." Ozpin firmly stated.

"I actually believe you, since she shows no signs of the Conduit Gene." Agreed Cole. "Man. And I thought I'd seen everything when it came to crazy powers."

"Good, I don't like being referred to as a mutant. It's like being called a freak." Said a rather annoyed Amber.

Leaning back over his chair and craning his neck to look at Amber, Cole gave a semi-evil smirk. "Trust me girly, the only freak in here is me."

' _How can he be so comfortable with that labelling?'_ Thought Amber, slightly intimidated.

"Eh, I'm not gonna pry into your world's voodoo. Really I just want to get back to my own world. Major issue there is I don't actually have the power to do that anymore."

"May I ask how you don't have it?"

Cole showed his scarred right arm. "Whatever the crimson bitch used took what little power I had left from my friend John White. That and another set."

"Another set? And who is John?" Amber asked.

"I could also manipulate fire and oil, or napalm if that means anything to you. John… let's just say he was slash is the strongest Conduit that I know of aside from myself." Noting the interested looks he got from both Amber and Ozpin, Cole continued. "Before my attempt to fix my mistakes, John transferred everything he could do to me. But in trying to fix things, I tore apart reality. Not only did this dump me here, but it brought John back into existence, giving him most of his powers back."

"Then we have a disturbing situation." Interrupted Ozpin. "Originally, Amber's assailant wanted to steal Amber's own power for her own use. The glove, as Amber told me, must have stolen this power of John's from you."

This statement worried Cole greatly, he could not risk having another Beast like Kessler's version roaming about, even if this was not his world. Though this thought process was a bit more verbal in reality as Cole rocketed from his chair.

"Shit! Fuck! Dammit!" Even as grown adults, Amber and Ozpin were taken aback by Cole's verbal onslaught of curses. "We _need_ to find this bitch!"

Ozpin tried his best to calmly wave Cole back down into his seat, saying "And we will Kessler, Amber gave me a decent description of the woman and her companions. As soon as we find them, you can go after them."

"But I can't sit around and wait for them, you have _no idea_ how strong John was. I was lucky John had good intentions." Cole was desperate to persuade them without giving away too much.

"I can offer you work if that will appease your need to do something. Especially since you have no money." Ozpin glanced at Amber. "Also… it will be quite convenient for you both."

Now it was Amber's turn to complain. "Ozpin, you know I refuse to stay here! You can't coop me up!"

Without reaction, Ozpin gave an answer that might have well been rehearsed. "Amber, we have discussed this. And now that this woman wields power beyond our knowledge, what is to stop her from killing you to take your power?" Amber bowed her head, defeated.

"I am not stopping you from visiting the city, but I cannot allow you to travel alone." Ozpin's expression and tone was fatherly, deep concern for Amber laced his words.

"Then let Qrow escort me!" Amber demanded.

"Qrow will not be enough… not anymore." Ozpin countered. "Fortunately I have a solution to both your problems."

"I'm listening." Said Cole with renewed interest.

"I had planned to find a new teacher to teach Aura control and manipulation before the first semester of the new school year."

"Aura?" Queried Cole.

"While you have a genetic mutation, Aura is the manifestation of our soul. It allows us to use our soul as a weapon, or other uses as the class teaches."

"Let me guess, we fit the bill to teach." Cole stated.

"Not quite, Amber's capabilities make her the perfect candidate, and given I won't let her leave Vale. Meaning I now offer her the job."

"Then what about me? Security? Black Ops?" Cole honestly expected a mysterious man like Ozpin to use him to his fullest potential.

"No, you will be her assistant and bodyguard so she does not reveal her gifts to the general public."

"What?!" Disbelief filled Cole, a college dropout was going to be an assistant teacher.

"Magic is extremely powerful, and entirely mythical in our society. Someone knowing of Amber's existence is a major threat to world stability." Explained Ozpin, gesturing at Amber.

"Then what about me? Aren't I 'magical'?"

"No." Ozpin deadpanned

Cole was surprised. "No?"

"As you said Kessler, you are not magical in nature. So I have an excuse you can use." Ozpin produced a crystal no bigger than the palm of his hand from his pocket, a beautiful yellow decoration on the outside, but Cole tingled in its presence.

"This, is Dust. Capital d by the way." Ozpin used Cole's own quip against him. "A natural resource on this planet, it contains the very elements of nature itself."

"So that is lightning in a crystal?" Passively sensing electricity sources betrayed the crystals element to Cole.

"Precisely. We have many uses for Dust, but a lesser used one is implantation."

"And that is my excuse." Cole stated, he smirked as he grabbed the crystal. "Simple but effective." Gripping the crystal tight, Cole drained the crystal completely over ten seconds. For such a small object, it contained power greater than most electrical sources Cole had drained. Opening his palm up, the crystal no longer glowed yellow, but was a hollow grey.

"Impressive, a crystal like that could power a small generator for hours. And you drained it in mere seconds." Ozpin complimented.

Cole boasted, smirking all the while. "Like I said, I was one of the most powerful Conduits in existence. A walking battery of unlimited potential nicknamed the Prime Conduit by others."

Ozpin seemed to ignore the boast and turned to Amber. "As interesting as you are Kessler, it has been a long day, so I wish to hear your answers. Amber first since you have been quiet."

The silent Amber looked up from her pensive posture, removing her hand from her mouth. Looking between Ozpin and Cole, she smiled.

"I suppose it will be worth my time. I have always strived to help others as a Maiden." Cole couldn't help but feel his heart warm at the sight of Amber smiling.

Ozpin smiled and turned to Cole. "Very good. Kessler?"

"I don't have anything better to do. Ah hell, count me in." Cole replied with a grin.

"Splendid!" Exclaimed Ozpin with uncharacteristic exuberance. "Now all that is left is to assign your lodgings."

As Ozpin finished speaking, the elevator door slid open. In the elevator stood a striking yet severe blonde woman dressed in a smart black skirt, a white buttoned shirt and heels. Instantly Cole could feel the emerald gaze of the woman on him, which unnerved the grizzled Conduit slightly. Second was a familiar man, garbed in a loose grey top and black trousers, he wore a tattered red cape and sported messy black hair. Strangely, his pupils were red, just like John's. On their arrival, Ozpin stood from his chair and smiled.

"Ah Glynda, Qrow, perfect timing. I would like to introduce you to Kessler." Neither smiled, watching Cole closely. "I can proudly announce both Kessler and Amber have accepted my offers."

Glynda huffed, "So long as he does not destroy any more corridors and cleans himself up we will have no problems." Qrow said nothing, still watching Cole.

"Kessler was under a lot of stress after waking up. I will discuss everything in full detail after you've shown these two to their rooms."

"Very well." Complied Glynda. "Please follow me Amber."

Qrow jerked his head to indicate for Cole to follow him. As they began to leave, Ozpin called out.

"One more thing." The headmaster produced two tablets similar to his own. "Take these Scrolls. Qrow can explain how to use them as you go." Cole reached out to grab his Scroll, but on contact in shorted out and exploded. Guiltily, Cole rubbed the back of his head.

"Uh… I should've mentioned that being a walking battery has some… negative side effects. Perhaps I can try to modify my phone." Cole tapped the pocket on his backpack where his phone was held. Everyone except Cole got into the elevator cautiously, leaving the headmaster in his office. Opening up his own Scroll, Ozpin tapped on the message he recently received labelled: Queen's Pawns? Attached were photos of three individuals that matched Amber's descriptions.

Ozpin studied the photos intently. "Hmm."

* * *

 **Phew! All done? Yes? Good. Let me clarify one thing first. Amber's surname is pronounced Kee-szhah.**

 **Now then, back to Dog's review. Cole no longer has the Beast's powers because both John and Cinder have it. What powers of The Beast does Cinder have? Not telling, it will ruin the fun.**

 **Also, I'm not going to have an initiation chapter. Reason? Ozpin has already fought Cole and gauged his strength. So we'll be going straight into classes after a bit more setting up.**

 **Hope you enjoyed! And of course, leave reviews, I love feedback!**

 **Wardtortle, out!**


	3. Professor

**Wardtortle back with another chapter! Man am I grinding these out. Won't be bringing out the next one until after the weekend, I work weekends.**

 **So let me explain how I'm going to answer reviews from now on!**

 **First, I will answer them as open and honestly as I can, but I don't want to give much away.**

 **Second, depending on what I feel is appropriate, I will answer some before and some after each chapter.**

 **There we go! Now. Onto the reviews!**

 **Jack the Stalker: Cheers for the support, I really appreciate it!**

 **Dog (again ^^): I will say that older powers will be coming back, but remember a few of his powers are karma locked. And currently Cole still bears his infamous karma. In regards to the Cinder situation; I can't really say anything without giving away key plot points. Third, Cole may or may not recover his Napalm powers, but for now it is only Electrokinesis and Electromagnetism.**

 **MEleeSmasher: Cole had Nix's power's before Cinder stole them. In my canon for this fic, Cole used the Power Transfer Device with Nix, not Kuo, so he won't have ice powers (as much as I love them.)**

 **Also, just to clarify; I will refer to Cole as Kessler in any scenes which don't start with him.**

 **Without further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Beacon – 1 week before initiation:**

Qrow's instincts never failed him when it came to judging opponents. Even when drunk he had fought and bested seasoned Huntsmen. But looking at Kessler, Qrow could not help but feel uneasy. Was it the pale skin and veins? Or the destruction Qrow had witnessed when Kessler woke. Only four people in existence had ever made Qrow cautious before. First and most obvious was Ozpin; the headmaster was a Huntsman of unopposed skill. Second was Glynda Goodwitch; the scariest woman alive, the riding crop added to the image. Third, his own sister, Raven. Qrow only met her once in a few years, but each time he did Raven became deadlier. Finally, the woman in the red dress. Whatever she did to Kessler gave her powers of such incredible pressure that Qrow ran. Yes, Qrow Branwen grabbed Amber and Kessler and ran. If what the woman stole was only a fraction of Kessler's power, then Qrow believed Ozpin to be a lucky bastard.

' _I guess having at Beacon is the best of all the bad ideas Oz has.'_ Qrow thought, not happy with Ozpin's decisions, but he couldn't disagree with Oz in the long run. Reaching Kessler's room, Qrow reached for the keycard.

"Here." Giving the card to Kessler, Qrow turned to leave, his job done.

"Hold up." Qrow breathed out through his nose, and turned to Kessler. "I know you don't like me-"

"Heh, close, but not quite." Interrupted Qrow.

"Whatever. I was gonna say thanks." Kessler said with slight irritation.

"Want to thank me. Be good to my niece. She starts at Beacon soon." Qrow once again turned to leave, hands in pockets.

"How will I know who she is?" Asked Kessler, shouting to Qrow down the hallway.

Qrow didn't bother to turn, just shouted back. "Her name is Yang, and you will know."

As Qrow rounded the corner, Cole MacGrath (or Kessler), slid his keycard into the slot. Opening the door revealed a neat room, a large bed tucked into one corner. Bookshelves were suspended over an oak desk and a small lamp sat on top of the desk. Entering into the room, Cole saw another door, which when he opened led to a small bathroom.

"Not bad. Certainly better than anywhere I've slept since the blast." Approved Cole of his new lodgings. Before Cole could set down his Amp and backpack, he felt a familiar buzzing from his cellphone. Taking it out of its pouch, it read:

 _ **I hope your new lodgings are acceptable. Due to your situation I have delivered a package to your door. – Ozpin**_

Cole had two questions. How did Ozpin already manage to contact his phone? And what was in the package? Only one question could be answered now. Reopening his front door, Cole saw a cardboard box. Effortlessly carrying it inside, Cole ripped off the top with ease. On top of everything were large wads of what Cole assumed was the currency in Vale. Moving the money to his desk, Cole returned to see a set of clothes, with a note attached.

 _ **Glynda insisted. – Ozpin.**_

Sighing loudly, Cole looked at himself in the mirror. Aside from the pale skin and visible veins, his now crimson clothing was torn and burnt, a testament to the battles Cole had fought. Combining both his natural look and his clothing gave an intimidating image, one that was no good if he was going to teach kids.

"I can never really be a good man again. But I'll try…" Cole pulled a battered photo from his pocket. On the photo stood Kessler, the real Kessler, on his wedding day. Beside him stood Kessler's wife, Trish, and Kessler's best man, Zeke. Tears rolled down Cole's cheek and he collapsed against a wall, "I'm sorry…"

* * *

 **5 minutes later:**

With less than a week to prepare their classes, Amber thought it would be best to talk to Kessler and discuss them. First on her mind was Kessler's attitude though. Her first impression was not a great one. Kessler had been violent and destructive in his confrontation with Ozpin. But more lay beneath the man, he looked harrowed, and not just because he gave off a sickly look. One moment Kessler could be a joker, then he was vicious, almost animalistic. He was next to an enigma to Amber, despite his explanation of his powers and how he had made mistakes.

Having received the location for Kessler's room from Ozpin, Amber navigated the halls while mulling over her ideas for class. Reaching his door fairly quickly, Amber went to knock, but the door was ajar. Politely, Amber nudged open the door and called out.

"Kessler?" She asked cautiously.

Inside the room shocked Amber. Kessler lay propped up against a wall, head dropped and body slumped. In his lap sat one hand, gingerly holding a photo. Rushing to his side, Amber knelt next to him, speaking softly.

"Kessler? Are you alright?" Kessler stirred, looking up through bleary eyes.

"Trish?" Kessler asked sadly. But when he saw Amber he dropped his head once more, fixated on the photo. Amber got a proper look at the photo, and tried to hold back a gasp. In the photo stood Kessler in a suit, healthier, happier. It was a wedding photo. Amber immediately understood why Kessler had called her Trish. Embracing Kessler, Amber looked to the photo again. A beautiful woman around her age was smiling next to Kessler, garbed in a wedding dress with Kessler pressing his forehead to her, eyes closed and smiling. Behind them happily grinned a man in shades, who Amber assumed was the best man.

"Amber." Kessler's gravelly voice dragged her attention to him. "I can't teach kids, I'm… I'm not a good person."

Amber refused to hear this from Kessler. "No! You may be destructive and boastful. But both Ozpin and I can see more in you."

"I lost power that no-one else should ever wield. I've dragged my sins into this world." Kessler pushed up from the wall, breaking from Amber's embrace. "I was selfish and now I'm paying the price… and you will all too, for my mistake!"

"Then let us share the price! As much as I hate Ozpin for sheltering me away, he is right. Ozpin put us together to teach these kids, you are not alone. And if the time comes, we will all help you stop that woman."

Kessler glanced to the photo he held, mumbling under his breath. "Maybe… I'm not ready, but I'll try…in time."

"Well we have time." Said Amber warmly.

"Yeah…" Kessler pocketed the photo and turned to Amber. "I'm sorry."

Amber smiled at Kessler's shift in mood. "You don't need to. You can help me plan our classes instead."

"I always liked good plans." Kessler said, smiling a little.

The Beast and the Maiden then sat down as Amber rattled off her ideas for Aura class to Kessler. They spent the whole evening revising their curriculum, Amber lecturing Kessler on the basics of Aura, Semblances, the Grimm and Remnant's history. In return, Kessler went into depth about his powers and capabilities in comparison to Aura. But most of all, Amber made Kessler laugh and smile, forgetting his misery for once. Amber could have sworn that his veins faded a few times.

* * *

 **Beacon, Aura Class – After initiation:**

The first day was exciting. Newly formed first years teams all sat together, chatting happily. Unlike the other classes, Aura class was rumoured to have an entirely new teacher, and the first years were lucky enough to be the first class. Teams RWBY and JNPR sat close together, growing closer ever since initiation. Yang Xiao-Long, who prided herself on knowing secrets and gossip before anyone else, twitched in irritation. For once she had nothing, not one scrap of information.

"Ugh. How can they keep things so tightly under wraps? Even my uncle told me nothing!" Yang complained to her team. Blake and Weiss both paid close attention, while Ruby was bouncing with excitement.

"It does seem odd." Added Blake.

"Suspicious is a better term." Corrected Weiss. "Not only do we not have a name. We have no description whatsoever."

"That's what makes it exciting!" Butted in Ruby, energetically.

"I have to agree with Ruby on this one." Spoke up Pyrrha, flicking a strand of red hair aside. "Whoever this teacher is must be either exceptional, or well known."

"Ooh! Maybe this teacher will let me break legs!" Added Nora childishly.

Nora's childhood friend Ren, shook his head. "No Nora, no teacher would-"

*BANG*

Every student jumped as the classroom doors slammed open, and in strolled a strange man. Gasps and murmurs floated around. The man was extremely pale, veins strongly visible on his face as well as a scar. He wore dark red trousers and a loose, matching, buttoned shirt. To the students though, the slightly smart clothing did not retract from his ghastly visage. Additionally, he carried a brown sling bag with a rusted metal contraption strapped to it. Reaching the middle of the teacher floor, he stopped to survey the students with grey eyes. Although the grin that came next was a meant to be welcoming, a few students were secretly terrified. Jaune gulped loudly, Ruby stared widely in shock and the rest of their teams shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

A gravelly voice came from the man, "Welcome to Aura 101 kids. I'm Professor Kessler, though Kessler will do just fine." Kessler was surprised as a girl rose her hand.

Ruby Rose nervously asked a question. "Um… Professor Kessler…sir. What exactly will you be teaching us?"

Kessler reached onto his desk, picking up a sheet of paper with names, photos and details that everyone assumed were about them. It wasn't strange that he had to look up who was who, what was strange that he used paper rather than a Scroll.

"Hmm. Ruby Rose, right?"

"Um, yes sir."

"Qrow's youngest niece. Which makes blondie there Yang. Funny, you look nothing alike."

"You know Uncle Qrow?"

"Yeah. Anyway to answer Ruby's question, I will be teaching you how to manipulate your Aura for more than just shielding." The class began to mutter amongst each other. Kessler noted the reactions and gestured towards Weiss as an example. "Judging by the looks on some of your faces, you're not convinced. So I'll prove how much potential Aura has."

Glowing a slight crimson, Kessler began to crackle with electricity. Every gaze was transfixed on him as he ran his left hand down his right arm. The electricity leeched onto his right arm, extending out into a crimson blade of pure lightning. To the class this may have been aura manipulation, but to Kessler it was a Gigawatt Blade. From what Amber had told Kessler of Aura, the theory behind its manipulation was not much different from mastering his own powers. Oohs and aahs sounded from the student as Kessler swung his arm about in demonstration. Smirking at the childish reactions, Kessler walked behind the teacher's desk, picked up the chair, and threw it high up into the air. As the chair descended, Kessler jumped, cutting cleanly upwards with the blade. Kessler landed softly on his rubber soles, the halves of the chair clattering beside him.

Only a single set of clapping hands could be heard after the display. Not from the students, but the doorway. Further gasps and murmurs echoed as a tanned woman stood in the doorway, wearing a very similar uniform to Glynda, but in brown and white, minus the cape. Her voice was a contrast to Kessler's, soft and warming.

"Impressive Kessler, but not what we agreed on. You do remember that only you can do that, right?" The woman's scolding made Kessler mumble under his breath as his Gigawatt Blade dissipated. "My apologies for my assistant, students. I am Professor Amber Keziah, and I will be teaching you Aura Manipulation and Control." Gesturing to Kessler she continued. "Professor Kessler will be teaching you more combative forms as well as being your punching bag from time to time." This gained a death glare from Kessler to Amber, but giggles and laughs from the students.

Kessler dropped his death glare and smirked, retorting Amber's statement. "You mean you are going to be the boring one. While the Lightning Dust badass here will teach them how to make the Grimm fear them."

Aura class was divided between the more sensible and less intimidating Amber, and the energetic but scary Kessler. Yang and Nora exchanged grins, both raring to see what Kessler could teach them. Pyrrha seemed more inclined towards Amber, given that her combat prowess was far above average. For Weiss it was an easy decision of Amber over Kessler. Ruby could not decide. Ren and Blake remained neutral, but looked completely indifferent.

"Fine then Kessler, I'll have you fight…" She pulled out her tablet and scrolled through the list of students, looking for one in particular. "… Miss Valkyrie!" Amber declared with a grin. From in the seats Nora whooped with excitement, Ren facepalmed, while Yang banged her head on the desk in disappointment. Nora retrieved her hammer, Magnhild, with inhuman speed, leaving the teachers to question how she could move so quickly.

Kessler waited across the classroom for Nora, hopping on his toes as a warm up. Nora strode in proudly, Magnhild, resting on her shoulder. All the students couldn't fathom why Amber was grinning as madly as Nora on a sugar high, and neither could Kessler.

"Something funny _Professor_?" Kessler asked confidently.

"More than you know Kessler, it's a shame you never properly read the student notes." Amber countered.

In a separate conversation, Teams RWBY and JNPR, minus Nora and Ren, looked to Ren for an explanation. Ren sighed, not wanting of the attention, but knowing he had no choice.

"Nora's Semblance lets her absorb electricity, which increases her strength." Ren explained plainly, watching his childhood friend beam with joy.

"So…" Ruby started.

"Nora is the Professor's natural counter." Pyrrha finished.

"And Professor Kessler doesn't know." Added Weiss, unimpressed with the male professor's lack of professionalism.

"This is no fun! Why wasn't I picked?!" Whined Yang, who had not heard a single word of the conversation.

Ruby gave her sister a hug. "Aww cheer up sis, you'll get your chance."

"You're right Ruby, I'll _Yang_ around for my chance." Joked Yang, producing a collective groan, and somehow a booing from Nora.

Upon seeing Nora holding Magnhild, Kessler grabbed his Amp. In its folded form, the rusted weapon was unimpressive, even Ruby disapproved of the look. To her the weapon seemed imbalanced and poorly maintained.

"Are you two ready?"

"YES MISS!" Shouted Nora unnecessarily. Kessler nodded with a grin, deploying the Amp to its full length. Kessler's oddly coloured electricity arced between the prongs of the Amp. Ruby gushed over it from afar, forcing Yang to hold her in her seat. Amber raised her hand, silencing the class.

"Begin!" Commanded Amber.

Nora leapt high, bringing the hammer down at Kessler. The hammer-wielding girl never reached the ground, being lifted higher up by a wide blast of electricity, an Alpha Blast. Suspended in the air and off balance, Nora used her arms to shield herself as Kessler's Amp slammed down on her. The impact was hard enough to crack the wooden floor in a wide radius, leaving Nora stunned.

"Wish to continue, Miss Valkyrie?" Asked Amber nonchalantly.

Nora bolted to her feet. "Yup! I feel defeated, then inexplicably rejuvenated!"

Kessler twirled his Amp, interested on how she got up so quickly. Then again, he had been hit by worse and got back up. Swinging at Nora, Kessler was sidestepped and walloped with Magnhild in the chest. A direct hit being landed on a teacher was shocking. Teams JNPR and RWBY cheered, but Weiss and Blake gave each other knowing looks that they suspected something. Blake mouthed to Weiss, 'later', and they continued to watch as Kessler only stumbled back a little. An onslaught of hammer swings followed up, making Kessler backpedal to dodge a few. As Nora gave an opening, Kessler stabbed at her with the prongs of his Amps, unleashing a burst of electricity into the orange-haired girl. This did nothing but strengthen Nora, as she crackled with electricity herself.

"Oh shit." Muttered Kessler as Nora cracked him across the chest again with her hammer. Kessler smashed into the wall, making the students cry out in shock. Amber only raised her hand to silence them again.

"Calm down, Kessler is alright. And he deserved it for not reading Miss Valkyrie's profile." While Amber was speaking, Kessler had climbed out of the wall, bleeding and scratched.

Weiss decided to speak out against the match. "Miss! Professor Kessler is injured, should we not stop the match?"

Imitating Ozpin, Amber replied blankly. "No, please watch Miss Schnee." Blake pulled on Weiss' sleeve to get her to sit down. Cracking his joints, Kessler pulled out a Lightning Dust crystal and squeezed it in his palm. The bleeding stopped and the sound of ribs fixing themselves resounded across the classroom. Everyone was stunned (except Amber) as Kessler now dropped a grey crystal in place of the yellow one he had before. The teacher was perfectly fine after absorbing one Dust Crystal, which only made Weiss more suspicious. Never in her life had she heard of Dust being used to regenerate not just Aura, but the entire physical health of a body. Nora grinned at the prospect of round two, but Kessler let her down.

"I think you've proved your point Amber. Miss Valkyrie's Semblance wouldn't save her from me fighting properly though."

Amber agreed, "Please take your seat again Miss Valkyrie." As Nora trudged to her seat, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Kessler stood behind her, smiling at her.

"You've made this class way more interesting kiddo." Kessler said with a wink and a grin. Nora grinned back before re-joining her team, who clapped her on the back and praised her.

Sheathing the Amp, Kessler turned to the class, but looked at Amber. "Alright Miss Boring, you're up." Amber gave a glare that only Glynda could teach before beginning her first lesson properly.

* * *

 **Beacon – The Next Day:**

Huddled around a section of a table for lunch, both Teams RWBY and JNPR sat in intense discussion. The topic, their new teachers.

"I'm telling you, his behaviour is nothing like a Huntsman should be." Argued Weiss.

"You obviously haven't met mine and Rubes uncle then, Ice Queen." Retorted Yang.

Jaune listened, but had nothing to add. Nora, being Nora, stacked a pile of pancakes rather than comment.

"I believe we should look at Professor Kessler factually." Chimed in Pyrrha.

"What do you mean?" Weiss said, still argumentative.

"Rather than voice our opinions on Huntsmen, we should pool what knowledge we have and form a group opinion on who he really is."

Ren sipped his tea, then contributed. "He is experienced, but imprecise."

"I second that Ren," agreed Pyrrha, "He wielded that forked weapon pretty poorly."

"Mhm." Agreed Nora, a pancake in her mouth. "It hurt but he didn't hit fast."

"Rubes, you're the weapon nut. Lien for your thoughts?" Yang asked her sister, who had been listening but munching on her cookies.

"Can't really say much Yang, except it looked poorly kept." Said Ruby, "I mean, you saw the rust on that thing right?"

Everyone nodded, then Blake added to the conversation from behind her book. "So we know his skill and care with weapons does not match a Huntsman's level, but he's a teacher of Aura, maybe we're being a little too critical."

"That is the other issue." Interrupted Weiss, gaining everyone's attention. "Never in all my training have I heard of someone draining a Dust crystal to heal wounds, let alone emptying the raw power within one that quickly without blowing it up."

"Perhaps, that is because Professor Kessler is a unique case." Chimed in a mature voice from behind Weiss. The students jumped in their seats as Professor Ozpin loomed over them, equipped with coffee mug and cane.

"W-what do you mean sir?" Asked Ruby quickly.

"I mean, Miss Rose, Kessler is a unique being in this world. He has told me very little, and it intrigues me far more than I let on." Ozpin then strode off casually, leaving the two teams looking at each other in bewilderment. After a while of awkward eating, Ruby's youthful attitude broke the silence.

"Alright! Friends, sister, Weiss!" Ruby began a speech.

"Hey!" Complained Weiss.

"I believe that our headmaster has tasked us with the duty of discovering the truth behind Professor Kessler. All with me say aye!" Ruby finished her speech standing, a fist raised up high.

"AYE!" Shouted out Nora and Yang.

"Count me in then." Ren added, knowing Nora would not let him back out.

"You know I'm with you Ruby," said Jaune proudly, "No Arc will go back on his word."

"And I'll follow my leader." Said Pyrrha, clapping Jaune across the back a little too hard.

"You wouldn't know where to start without me." Weiss claimed.

"Blake?" Ruby asked the only one left to commit.

"Oh… um, sure." Blake said, snapping from her thoughts.

"Alright!" Said Ruby loudly. "Um… where do we start Weiss?" Weiss slapped a hand to her forehead and groaned.

Unknown to the others, Blake already had a clue. _'Professor Ozpin called Kessler a unique being, not a unique person. Why?'_

* * *

 **Teams RWBY and JNPR are on the case! Naturally Ozpin would be the one to 'anonymously' help them.**

 **An after review!**

 **Amvmaster: I'm going to be blunt here. No, none of the main cast will be Conduits. As Ozpin said, Cole is a unique _being_. But do not lose faith over the main cast being underpowered. I did my research on Conduits and I will find logical loopholes. But what these loopholes will do is my secret.**

 **Please leave more reviews, I love answering them and reading your support!**

 **Wardtortle, out!**


	4. A Broken Man

**I lied. I said I wouldn't post a chapter this weekend, but I've pulled one out of a hat between work shifts.**

 **So... that said, reviews!**

 **MElee Smasher: Yes.**

 **madworld238: I've been milling a few ideas around, but we still have Cinder to deal with.**

 **And now, enjoy!**

* * *

 **?**

Endless void swirled around Cole, and he knew what this meant.

"John?" Cole called out into the void, prompting a welcome face to appear before him.

"Hello again Cole, it is good to see you." Replied John, smiling.

"Yeah, you have… no idea." Cole's tone of voice saddened as he spoke.

The original Beast frowned slightly at Cole's tone. Walking closer, John studied Cole's pained expression.

"What happened Cole? And where is the rest of the power I gave you?" asked John.

Cole became irritated by the questions, snarling. "What happened?! You dropped me in another dimension! Your power, got stolen! And now I'm stuck teaching kids!"

John, for once looked visibly hurt by Cole's words, dropping his gaze. "I'm… sorry."

"If you're sorry, then fix this!" Snapped Cole, pushing his face right up to John's threateningly.

"I can't." John admitted. "I'm dying Cole."

All the anger left Cole, leaving him staring in surprise. John was, dying? Cole refused to believe that.

"How can you be dying? You look perfectly fine to me." Cole commented.

Raising a hand, John explained. "I cannot take physical form anymore Cole, so reality is rejecting me." John's hand faded, becoming transparent then flickering back into a solid form. As much as Cole wanted to claim he could find a way, John knew far more than him, and had probably tried already.

"Then what do I do?" Cole asked. "I can't fight someone using the powers of The Beast and Nix with only my power."

John flared at Cole's statement. "You can! I know you can." Placing a hand on Cole's shoulder, he continued. "The one who stole my power may be powerful, but it will take them time to gain the control I had. And they only have a fraction of it." Letting go, John stepped past Cole and stood tall. "Become who you were in Empire City. Give your new life a chance Cole, enjoy it. You remember your saying?"

Warmly, Cole smiled. "Half as long…"

"…Twice as bright." Both Conduits smiled, John turning to grasp Cole's arm with his own.

"Thanks John." Said Cole.

"No. Thank you, Cole MacGrath." John replied, shaking his arm once. Parting, John grinned at Cole, before leaving one last message.

"Your powers, all of them, will come back in time. Whether this takes weeks, months or years I do not know. And others which you have never had may surface." John's form began to flicker. "So know that I have unlocked all the potential in you I can. Consider it a… gift, to remember me by."

Cole was speechless, watching sadly as another friend exited his life. John White faded from existence, smiling, and proud. But as John vanished, Cole wept, his last friend gone.

* * *

 **Beacon, RWBY dorm – Saturday morning:**

Ruby had used up every item she could waking her team up in the morning (mainly Weiss). The whistle was broken, the car horn bent, and the bell crushed. Without her friends being awake, Team RWBY's leader was bored. Patience was not one of Ruby's virtues either. Saturday was also the day that everyone had agreed to begin their investigation of Professor Kessler. Trudging back from a lonely breakfast was boring, or it would have been. In the distance Ruby heard a crackle of electricity. This crackle instantly betrayed who Ruby found as she walked up Beacon cliff. Professor Kessler stood at the edge of the cliff, his right arm arcing his signature crimson electricity. Despite the allure of the crimson energy, another sight attracted Ruby's gaze. In his other hand was a bottle, a large bottle of vodka. Swaying drunkenly, Kessler was firing precise bolts of electricity off into the distance. Initially it seemed like he was shooting for the hell of it, but Ruby's higher than average sight spotted a flock of black in the sky over the Emerald Forest. With each bolt, the flock thinned. Kessler was downing Nevermore in one hit. Then Kessler twitched, looking over his shoulder at Ruby.

"What do you want kid?" Slurred the professor, taking a swig of the vodka.

"Um…" Ruby hesitated. Kessler saw this and went back to his sniping. In the clear air of Beacon's cliff, all that was heard was the constant crackling of electricity, interrupted by a thunderclap as Kessler fired. Ruby watched in amazement for minutes until Kessler craned his neck round once again.

"Either say somethin' kid or piss off, I'm having some me time." Snapped Kessler.

Ruby finally answered. "Uh, well. You shouldn't be drinki-"

*CRACK*

A bolt hit the ground, making Ruby jump back in fright. Kessler looked furious, staring at the cloaked girl with cold, grey eyes.

"Professor!" Ruby pleaded in fear.

"Don't. Tell. Me. What I can't. DO!" Boomed Kessler, unleashing an even stronger bolt at Ruby. Any person from Kessler's world would have dropped dead, but Ruby's Aura saved her, barely.

* * *

 **Team RWBY's dorm:**

Every Scroll in the dorm blared, ruining the gorgeous morning and startling the sleeping beauties awake. Frantic scuffling enfolded as all three remaining members of Team RWBY searched for their Scrolls. Yang found hers first, opening it up to a horrifying sight. Ruby's Aura meter was near depleted.

"RUBY!" Screamed the older sister. Springing into action, Yang slipped into her combat clothes in record time, forgetting her morning routine. Bringing up the map of Beacon, the warning ping sounded from the cliff. Weiss and Blake had dressed in similar speed and fashion, following Yang through the door. Blake had enough sense to bang on Team JNPR's door, prompting Pyrrha to notice them sprinting down the hallway urgently. In minutes her team was up and ready. Pyrrha called Blake, hoping to get an explanation.

"Blake! What is going on?" Asked a distressed Pyrrha.

" _Ruby's Aura dropped to critical! And she's at Beacon Cliff!"_ Answered Blake's voice on the other side of the call.

"Oh god... We're on our way!" Pyrrha said, dashing out of her own dorm.

Jaune watched his partner dart out of the room. Following suit, he called out to his team. "Come on guys! Double time!"

With both teams sprinting across Beacon's courtyard, they attracted lots of attention from both students and teachers. Amber had been enjoying the tranquillity of the spring weather in the courtyard when she noticed the seven students running. From her bench, she saw the expression on Yang's face and the lack of Ruby. In only a week she had grown to know her students fairly well, and connecting the dots was instant. Amber caught up with the teams on the ascent to the cliff, shouting after them.

"Students! What is going on?!"

Ren, with his lack of stamina, stopped to explain through heavy breaths. "Ruby… critical… on cliff."

Horrified at the broken sentence, Amber stormed ahead of Ren, hearing a sound she really did not want to. Both teams were huddled around Ruby, whose clothes were smoking. Ruby was unconscious, but breathing, wrapped tightly in Yang's arms. Beyond the girl stood Kessler, his right arm crackling as he drained a Dust crystal. Amber didn't even need to see the bottle in his hand to tell he was drunk. But before she could scream at him, a blur of yellow launched at Kessler, screeching. Yang never reached Kessler as he swept his arm blindly, a blast of electricity launching the teen back. Unlike the one used on Nora, Yang now floated in the air, suspended, struggling, and cursing Kessler violently.

"KESSLER!" Shouted Amber. Kessler didn't respond, but Amber knew he had heard her. "What did you do?!"

"I taught a lesson." Answered Kessler, taking a long swig of vodka.

"By severely harming a student?! Are you insane?!"

Kessler snorted derisively. "Heh, maybe. What I can admit to is I'm not a good man. But you knew that already."

"But why hurt Ruby?" Weiss asked, terrified of the teacher before her.

"Why? Here's the lesson; never, ever, get between a grieving man and his bottle."

"You drunken idiot! Ruby was trying to help you!" Lectured Amber to her assistant.

Kessler snorted again, but with sad laughter. "Come back and tell me that once you lose every friend you have!" With that statement, Kessler took a few paces back, and launched into the air off of a springboard. Everyone watched as the man surrounded himself in electricity, crashing through the treeline. His impact could be felt from the cliff as a tremor reach them. With Kessler gone, Yang's suspension ended. Lilac eyes now as crimson as Kessler's lightning, Yang dashed to use a pad, only to be pulled back by a struggling Amber.

"LET. ME. GO!" Screamed Yang, swinging wildly. It took the combined effort of Amber, Jaune, Nora and Pyrrha to hold Yang down. Only when her eyes returned to lilac, did they let go. Free of the holds, Yang crawled to Ruby, holding her gently and weeping. Everyone was in shock, Ruby's team surrounding their leader carefully. Team JNPR collapsed, watching their friends cry over Ruby. Amber looked over the Emerald Forest, catching the odd explosion of electricity amongst the trees.

"Professor?" Spoke up Ren, "What do we do?"

"I…" Started Amber, unsure herself.

"Your teams will do nothing, Mr Lie." Everyone but Team RWBY turned to see Professor Ozpin, flanked by Glynda, Oobleck and Port.

"B-but-" spoke up Jaune, who was interrupted by Glynda.

"Your safety is our priority, Mr Arc. Not only that, Professor Kessler is far above your level."

"Indeed. As much as I hate to admit. He may even be far above my own." Stated Ozpin calmly. This provoked a horrified reaction from every student.

"Surely you can't mean that sir." Said Pyrrha. "Even Nora managed to land hits on him in class."

Ozpin's expression became serious. "I am not joking, Miss Nikos. Kessler is incredibly powerful, alone I will not be able to best him without severe injury."

Blake managed to break away from caring for Ruby to join the conversation. "Because he is a unique being?"

"Precisely, Miss Belladonna."

Glynda stepped forward, "Ozpin, is this wise? To share such sensitive information." All the teachers except Ozpin shifted uncomfortably.

"Glynda, these children deserve answers, since I gave them the task of uncovering more for me." Ozpin replied seriously.

"Then let me explain Professor." Amber interrupted, managing to tear away from watching the forest. "I have a few more answers."

Ozpin complied with Amber's request. "Please do. But be brief, I would rather wrap up this whole matter today."

Breathing out deeply, Amber began. "Kessler is a unique being because he came here from another dimension."

"Impossible!" shrieked Weiss, provoking Ozpin to raise a hand to silence her.

"As far as we know, he was trying to correct his mistakes, but miscalculated and ended up here." Rather than reveal her nature, Amber lied about the next part. "We met outside of Vale and I brought him to Beacon, to Ozpin. Ozpin offered us both jobs here at Beacon, given he was a powerful being from another world, and the offer he had already been made to me."

Each student listened attentively, except for Yang, who still watched over Ruby lovingly. Ozpin knew all the details so far, but the fact that Amber knew more intrigued him.

"On the day we took the job, I went to Kessler's room to discuss our classes. Only I found him slumped against a wall, crying." None of the people present except Ozpin wanted to believe Amber. Collectively they refused to believe a monstrous man like Kessler could cry.

Amber continued. "I also found out the reason why. He carries a photo with him at all times. A photo of a time he was happy, and looked… normal."

"Do I want to ask what it was of?" Asked Jaune, speaking everyone's minds. Amber's expression saddened greatly. It felt wrong to share the information, but she had openly offered it, and could not back down.

"It was… his wedding day." Collective gasps came from the students. "Love doesn't come close to his expression on the photo. Kessler with his wife, Trish, and his best man."

"Thank you Amber." Ozpin said, stepping forward. "That is enough of an explanation." Everyone was conflicted deeply. Kessler had indiscriminately harmed Ruby, drunken but still indiscriminately. This act depicted Kessler as a monster. Though after Amber's revelation, they saw a broken man too. As the students contemplated their opinions, Ozpin and the staff, minus Amber, stood on the launch pads.

"Amber, please take Ruby to the infirmary." Ozpin ordered Amber. "Then it is up to you if you wish to watch from our cameras." Amber nodded, walking over and scooping up Ruby gently.

"Good luck Oz." Said Amber. Curtly nodding, Ozpin and the staff vanished into the sky. Rather than watch them fly, Amber quickly jogged downhill to Beacon, students in tow.

"Can one of you go ahead and inform the infirmary?" Amber asked, Blake nodding and running off ahead. "The rest of you follow me and try to keep a clear path to the infirmary."

The journey to the infirmary was smoother than expected. Six students making everyone move out of Amber's way allowed her to reach the infirmary in minutes, albeit followed by a larger body of students than before. Ruby was retrieved and rushed away efficiently, allowing Amber to divert her worry to Yang. Gossip and rumours are ruthless amongst teenagers, and Yang overheard a lot of them. Soon her lilac orbs had flared red, the brawler bearing down on the crowd in fury. Cardin Winchester stuck out for Yang as a prominent spreader of malicious rumours. To Yang the only thing now that would stick out was going to be his swollen face, after she had pounded it into every surface in sight. Every voice ceased as Yang socked Cardin across the face with a solid right hook. A sickening crunch sounded as Yang followed with a mirrored punch. The beatdown would have continued, but Amber stepped in to break up.

"Enough! EVERYONE LEAVE!" Roared Amber, surprising those who knew her for her gentle nature. In any other situation Yang would have kept swinging, but rage could not outweigh her concern for Ruby.

"Miss Keziah." Addressed a nurse. "Miss Rose is stable and will recover, but the process will be slow."

Yang began to sob, "Why? Ruby…"

"All we can tell is her body contains a large concentration of electrical energy. It will need to dissipate before her Aura heals." Explained the nurse. "She is safe enough to see though."

Amber hugged Yang, whispering to her. "Go, Ruby needs you." Yang nodded and followed the nurse. Finally able to relax a little, Amber spoke to the remaining six students. "Only one thing we can do now." Retrieving her tablet from a pouch, she unfolded the device. Searching for the Emerald Forest cameras, a large portion of them showed static. But one, gave a perfect three quarter view of a massive clearing. Singed grass and burnt trees decorated the area like a battlefield. In the centre, knelt Kessler, breathing heavily as the bodies of Grimm evaporated around him. Twitching, he looked up to confront the four teachers that approached.

* * *

 **Um. Cole done fucked up. This was the first proper 'evil' thing I've had Cole do, the rest has all been sarcasm and general being an asshole. I won't apologise for this, but don't worry, Ruby is fine. Or at least will be by next chapter's end, but that is spoilers. (River Song would not be proud of me)**

 **No after reviews.**

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter, please leave reviews, and I'll see you all soon.**

 **Wardtortle, out!**


	5. Overload & Reset

**Hey all you lovely people! Over 1600 views is crazy! Thanks so much!**

 **Shit is gonna go down in a long chapter. (Thank Lightning Dragon King Virgil for asking for 'MOAR')**

 **I worked 12 - 9 on Father's Day, then pulled an all-nighter writing this. But first, reviews!**

 **Noob6: All you need to do is read on my friend.**

 **Dog: You make a good point, and the same reasoning crossed my mind. As regards to the Evil Canon. It is the Evil Canon for New Marais, my next chapters after this one will flesh out my own Canon for Empire City and New Marais.**

 **Warden of Lore: You know it! RvB has provided me with hours of laughs, and that line from Sarge is one of the best.**

 **kyrogue23: Funny as it was, it also shows how Cole isn't OP.**

 **Jack the Stalker: Just read on!**

 **And now, for the longer chapter, enjoy!**

* * *

 **The Emerald Forest:**

Heights never bothered Cole. At least since he had become an active Conduit. After confronting Alden on his tower back in Empire City, Cole had jumped from the peak and landed safely with no harm done to him. So soaring above the emerald canopy was trivial. On his descent, Cole charged a Thunder Drop, smashing both hands into the ground on contact with the earth. Grimm, trees and bushes were destroyed. Nature was torn from the ground, roots and all, while the soulless monsters of Grimm were vaporised. Having created a small clearing, Cole sat in the middle of it, contemplating what he had lost. Trish, Zeke, Nix, Kuo and John had all left him. Through acts of selfishness he had killed them all. Burned into Cole's mind were the faces of his friends as they disappeared from his life. John and Trish, smiling, both proud of Cole. Zeke and Nix, fighting to their last breaths against Cole with grim determination. Kuo, sad but accepting of Cole's choice. Fuzzy memories of the last few minutes came to Cole. Yang lashing out, Amber screaming at him, both seeing themselves as better than him.

Negative emotion flowed through Cole's being, rage and sorrow being most prevalent. This negativity attracted hordes of Grimm from the surrounding treeline. Howls, snarls and hisses stirred the drunken Cole from his thoughts. Packs of Beowolves, Ursa and Creeps circled Cole hungrily, backed up by a couple of King Taijitu slithering on the edge of the arena Cole made. Cole was unarmed and outnumbered, but never outgunned. Cracking his knuckles loudly, the Prime Conduit flung his arms wide, casting two grenades to either side. Instantly the grenades fractured into eight smaller versions. The two Cluster Grenades dropped amongst the lesser Grimm, exploding brightly and eviscerating the weak monsters. The carnage was boring to Cole, so he waited, snapping his Gigawatt Blades into existence. A few Beowolves charged, only to be decapitated, pierced and torn apart by Cole's electric blades.

Cole's drunken state, however, dulled his Radar Sense. Pain flared as an Ursa ripped into Cole's back with a claw, rewarding the Grimm with instant vaporisation by Alpha Rocket. Bleeding was a short-term problem as Cole's enhanced healing kicked in, but no Grimm would come back from the slaughter Cole unleashed. Angry and drunk, Cole obliterated a Creep with his newly acquired Magnum Bolt, which he had struck Ruby with. Leaping into the horde of monsters, Cole devastated them with his Gigawatt Blades. Smaller Grimm were ripped to shreds, those unlucky to survive the blades were shattered by point-blank Punch Blasts. For every cut or bruise Cole sustained, he destroyed ten Grimm entirely. Soon no smaller Grimm were left, only their alphas and the larger Taijitu. Still the Grimm surrounded Cole, the man now returned to the centre of his arena. Rage sated, the Conduit decided to show no more mercy, punching out rocket after rocket in a circle around him. Grimm were severed into pieces by the explosions, and any rockets that missed splintered and burnt the trees. Dropping to a knee, Cole heaved in breaths, the air now polluted with smoke. Cole's arena had grown, decorated with the evaporating corpses of Grimm.

Then Cole's Radar Sense twitched, four electric sources aside from the three Dust crystals he carried with him were present in the scorched arena. Glancing up from his knelt position, Cole witnessed the arrival of Ozpin and his entourage of staff. Reaching into a pouch at his waist, a crystal was drained by Cole, restoring his stamina and sealing his cuts rapidly. The four staff halted a good distance from Cole, waiting as the man pushed up onto his feet. Both sides expected the other to speak first, leading to a silent standoff. Of course Cole's drunken mind lost in this standoff.

"Here for a show Oz? Or here for a chat?" Slurred Cole, squinting at the headmaster.

"The latter would be preferable." Answered Ozpin seriously.

"Talk's cheap, but go on… speak away!" Invited Cole, smirking cockily.

Glynda spoke up, her anger vented at Cole. "You have severely harmed a-"

"Shush blondie." Interrupted Cole rudely. "Let the oh so wise Ozpin speak."

Glynda gripped her crop tightly, only for Ozpin to place a hand in front of her. Unhappy yet compliant, Glynda backed off. Now free to speak, Ozpin stepped forward, watched closely by everyone present.

"As Glynda was saying, you have gravely harmed a student of mine _and_ yours. I also find it hard to believe you were provoked, since Miss Rose only cares for the wellbeing of others."

' _Sounds like Trish.'_ Thought Cole as Ozpin continued.

"Therefore I propose you return to Beacon and accept fair punishment, starting with a better explanation of who you are, and what drove you to drinking like this."

"That's a long story Oz, and I don't do long stories." Retorted Cole bitterly.

Ozpin retorted back insensitively. "Then you sully the memory of your wife, Trish."

Cole seethed at the mention of her name. Staring at Ozpin, he replied angrily. "You know what Oz? Because you asked so nicely, I'll explain my powers. With a demonstration!"

An Alpha Bolt hurtled its way to Ozpin, dodged easily. "That was an Alpha Bolt, my most basic power!" A wide bolt followed up, but yielded no result. "That, was a Scythe Bolt." Oobleck, Port and Glynda tensed to charge Cole, held back only by Ozpin's insistence. But this peaceful stance lasted very little time, as a large rocket of electricity crashed against Ozpin's cane, pushing the veteran Huntsman back a few feet.

"Then we have the rockets!" Shouted Cole proudly, pumping out a Tripwire Rocket. Instinct saved Ozpin from injury as he leapt over the wire, the twin red rockets connected and collapsed in on a tree, obliterating it. All four Huntsmen sprang into action, Oobleck and Port firing blasts of fire from their weapons. Cole stood still with his arm raised, slowly forming a wall of energy that absorbed the blasts effortlessly.

"Polarity Wall." Listed Cole, raising it above his head as an ice Dust crystal shattered above him, raining shards of ice down at him. Glynda's manipulation of ice Dust provided the perfect distraction, allowing Ozpin to surge forward and strike Cole repeatedly with his cane. Launched back, Cole collided with the ground and coughed up blood. For such a thin object that the cane was, Ozpin could hit exceptionally hard and fast with it. Stumbling to his feet, the drunken state wearing off, Cole spat blood before forming his Gigawatt Blades.

"Gigawatt Blades." Cole said plainly, rising into a boxing stance. Once again Ozpin lunged, but Cole met each blow with his blades. Electricity sparked on contact, but Ozpin's Aura shielded him from the arcing lightning. Experienced as Cole was, he could not keep up with Ozpin's speed, a trait that every Aura user had more of than Cole. Soon Cole found himself face down in the dirt again, leaking blood from his mouth. Now adrenalized and angry, Cole leapt up, flinging his arms forward. Cluster Grenades soared towards the Huntsmen, raining death upon them. Cole barraged the air with more and more grenades, burning out his supply of electricity. Peering through the dust caused by the explosions, Cole witnessed the Huntsmen standing tired, but uninjured. Glyphs protected Glynda. Oobleck and Port had blasted the clusters out of the sky. Ozpin crackled with green energy, a spherical shield around him.

' _Certainly tougher than any normal Conduit I've ever faced.'_ Noted Cole, reaching for his penultimate crystal and draining it. The Huntsmen grouped to reassess their attack, making Cole grin at their mistake. Sparking with power once more, Cole raised both arms to the sky, calling to his fellow teachers.

"Now you'll learn why you don't piss me off!" Cole's stance dropped, a thunderclap boomed in the darkening sky, and a torrent of lightning struck the ground in front of the Huntsmen continuously. Ozpin had little time to shield himself and his staff as the lightning was redirected on top of them. Ten seconds passed as Cole burned through his entire supply to call down his Lightning Storm, screaming loudly as he exerted himself to strengthen the storm. Again Cole found himself on one knee, heaving for breath. Grabbing the last crystal he owned, he went to drain it, but it was wrenched from his grasp. The crystal flew into the hand of Glynda Goodwitch, unharmed and furious. Oobleck and Port remained unhurt too, visibly stunned by Cole's display. Ozpin, was exhausted, his emerald energy flickering out as he pushed to his feet.

"You… are bested…Kessler." Ozpin forced out through heavy breaths. "You have no… means of recharging your energy."

"You don't know shit Ozpin!" Screamed Cole. "You used Trish's name so carelessly in front of me! And I won't give up until you pay for it!"

"My staff can defeat you easily, now that you have drained yourself." Ozpin stated confidently.

"And I say you're arrogant! I have one last trick!" Shouted Cole. The four backed off a little as Cole began to crackle all over his body. Slight colour returned to Cole's face, his veins fading slightly while the arcing energy grew stronger. Then Cole screamed at the top of his lungs, "KARMIC OVERLOAD!"

Electricity exploded outwards from Cole's body, followed by an endless barrage of rockets being pumped out. Ozpin could not dodge in his state, so he was propelled into the trees. With their advanced agility, the Huntsmen darted around the rockets, hoping to end the battle quickly. But what they didn't know was that Cole's power would only last twenty seconds. Charging recklessly at Cole proved dangerous, as both Port and Oobleck eventually found themselves on the receiving end of a rocket each. Glynda got closer, eventually caught in a surprise Punch Blast that sent her flying. Cole's attention switched to the glowing crystal that slipped from Glynda's hand, his means of victory. Twenty seconds had passed, and Cole was running empty. Very slowly, the Conduit trudged to the crystal, his right arm extended to drain it. But he soon found himself further away, the headmaster having recovered enough to intercept and defeat Cole finally.

Cole crawled with the strength he had left, desperate for the crystal. All he got in his path was a cane, Ozpin leaning on it. With the headmaster obstructing him, Cole gave in.

"Go on then, deliver my punishment. Put me out of my misery." Cole conceded.

"I won't Kessler, for I am at just as much fault as you." Ozpin admitted.

"What?" Mustered Cole weakly.

"I realise now that using her name was wrong, and I provoked a man who was suffering." Ozpin reached down and lifted Cole up, putting one of Cole's arms over his shoulder. "And now I can count it as one of my many great mistakes."

"Professor Ozpin. What are you doing?" Asked Port, now approaching with Oobleck's support.

"Kessler may have been wrong to harm Ruby. But we are in far deeper wrong to confront him so boldly." Lectured Ozpin, producing shamed faces from the good friends.

"Then give me that crystal." Pointed Cole to the yellow Dust crystal. "So I can fix my mistake."

"Absolutely not!" Snapped a recovering Glynda. "You are in no place to request that Kessler!"

"Cole." Uttered Cole, fed up with his adopted name, confusing the staff. "My name is Cole MacGrath."

"You lied about your name?" Ozpin asked curiously.

"Not quite, but… I'll have to explain it. After I've helped Ruby." Said Cole, stretching out a hand for the crystal. "I hurt her and I can help her. Consider it starting again on even ground. That small crystal for a student."

Glynda froze, debating her next action internally. At least until Ozpin spoke up.

"Do it Glynda. We must trust him if want him to trust us with all he knows." Ozpin explained. Hesitantly, Glynda dropped the crystal into Cole's open palm, only for it to drain as it fell. The crystal never touched Cole's hand, draining and plummeting to the ground in seconds. Rejuvenated, Cole shifted Ozpin onto Glynda and cracked his joints, his body fixing itself.

"Thank you." Cole looked towards the treeline and called out loudly. "Amber! I know you're watching, I can sense the cameras! Call a Bullhead for the staff, I'll be heading to the infirmary."

* * *

 **Beacon Campus:**

On the other side of the cameras, in a classroom sat Amber and six members of Teams RWBY and JNPR. All sat in complete shock at the high level devastation created between the four staff members and Kessler. Even Weiss, a more vocal member of the students, dared not speak. One man, had taken on Beacon's top four staff members, and almost won. Nora's bubbly personality had disappeared. Ren and Blake stared at the screen in shock. Jaune was outright terrified, with Pyrrha gripping him tightly in fear. Their funny, sarcastic and slightly rude teacher, was a complete powerhouse. Professor Kessler strode leagues ahead of the level the prodigal students held. Amber sat quietly for a moment, watching Kessler jog towards the cliff. Only a tapping of the shoulder woke her up. Behind her tapped Blake, concern in her amber eyes.

"Professor? Aren't you going to send a Bullhead?" Asked the cat Faunus.

"Um… perhaps it would be best to send two, with a few of you on each one." Proposed Amber.

"Yes Professor." Replied Blake, turning to whisper into the ears of her friends. Ren, Nora and Weiss joined her as she left. Leaving Pyrrha to look after a visibly haunted Jaune. Amber quickly sent off messages to ready two Bullheads, glancing over at the two students left. Initially she wanted to meet Kessler at the cliff, and escort him to Ruby's room. But then she realised the carnage that could enfold if Yang was not warned beforehand. Standing slowly from her seat, Amber indicated for Pyrrha to stay, leaving quietly through the classroom door. It didn't take long to reach the infirmary, since they had picked the closest classroom to Ruby's room. Stepping in quietly, Amber saw Ruby, unconscious but breathing. Medical apparatus surrounded the bed, Yang sitting beside it with her hand on Ruby's.

"Yang?" Spoke Amber softly. The blonde looked over her shoulder, her eyes sore red from crying. Squatting beside Yang and looking at her directly, Amber continued. "I want you to remain calm. Professor Ozpin has resolved the matter with Kessler, and… Kessler is coming here to help Ruby." Yang's eyes became horrified, then angry, crimson pupils conquering the lilac.

"No! I won't let him near her after what he did!" Protested Yang.

Amber's only way to overcome Yang's anger was to be blunt. "Yang… Professor Kessler almost beat all four staff who went after him." Anger turned to horror again, Yang's gaze returning to Ruby. "Kessler is going to help Ruby as part of his payment for hurting her. I don't know how, but I do know he means it." Silence met Amber's statement, a silent the room stayed besides the medical equipment. Minutes passed as both women watched over Ruby, waiting for Kessler's arrival.

Eventually the door slid open, revealing a nurse, with Kessler behind her. His expression was sad as he saw Ruby, followed by him hanging his head in shame as he walked in. Yang sprang up, angry at Kessler.

"You better help her, or I am going to break you!" Threatened Yang. Kessler only nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder and walking past. Amber saw his eyes flicker with power as he surveyed Ruby.

In a broken, dry, and gravelly voice, Kessler spoke to the nurse. "You said she had residual electricity in her body?"

"Yes Professor." Answered the nurse, who was then dismissed.

"Then the first step can be done and she will heal slowly." Stated Kessler.

"First step?" Questioned Amber. Kessler didn't reply, only extending a hand over Ruby. Electricity leapt from the girl into Kessler's arm, fading into him.

"Now she can heal normally." Stated Kessler. "But I can try to bring her back to decent strength right now."

"Then do it." Snapped Yang angrily, still meaning to fulfil her threat.

Sighing loudly, Kessler turned to Yang. "I haven't done this in a long time. I may not be able to do it at all, but I can try. All I need is patience." Yang glared angrily, but kept quiet.

"What are you going to do?" Asked Amber softly.

"Effectively use my electricity like a defibrillator. But there is more to it." Kessler briefly explained. "It will heal her almost completely, but…"

"But?" Asked Yang impatiently.

"Because of who I am, and what I have done. The… aftereffects could have very dangerous consequences… for me." Kessler breathed out deeply, his hands shaking.

"Kessler?" Amber asked, grabbing a shaking hand. "How dangerous are we talking?"

Kessler stared at Ruby, speaking to Amber emotionlessly. "Best case scenario, slight burns. Worst case… death."

Even Yang was taken aback. "You can't!" Protested Amber.

"I will." Kessler admitted adamantly. "Whatever happens to me is the price for hurting Ruby."

"Just let Ruby heal normally!" Protested Amber again, only for Kessler to break their contact.

"Amber… you can't stop me." He glanced to Yang. "And Yang won't stop me."

Defeated, Amber backed away, pulling Yang back gently to give Kessler space. Kessler circled to the other side of Ruby and clasped his hands together. Crimson electricity arced between the two as he moved them over Ruby's chest. Strain showed on Kessler's face, the veins on his face bulging then ebbing repeatedly. His breathing intensified with the focus he placed on the power between his palms. Suddenly his electricity flickered blue. A welcoming, calming blue that contrasted Kessler's personality. Seeing the blue electricity, Kessler exerted himself while placing his hands just above Ruby's body. Louder than ever he screamed through the visible pain on his body, and pulsed the electricity in his hands through Ruby. Ruby's body rose slightly from the shock of the pulse, but then settled. Medical recordings stabilised, and Ruby's Aura level rose rapidly. Not long after the shock, the young girl's eyes opened.

"W-where?" Mumbled Ruby weakly.

"RUBY!" Screamed Yang happily, hugging her sister tightly. Ruby struggled against her sister.

"Y-Yang! Too… tight!" Gasped Ruby, tapping her sister rapidly. Yang loosened her grip slightly, crying into Ruby's shoulder. This provoked Ruby to hug back weakly while looking around the room. Soon she met Amber's gaze, who smiled warmly at her.

"Professor? What happened?" Ruby asked weakly.

"You were hurt badly, but Professor Kessler-" Amber cut her explanation short as she realised Kessler was gone, and the door was left open. In a panic she hurried out of the room, catching a glimpse of the tattered man as he rounded a corner. Running after him, she caught up as Kessler stepped out into the doorway holding his head. Attempting to reach out to him, a massive blast of lightning threw her back into the wall. Amber watched weakly as Kessler screamed in agony, crimson lightning tearing itself from him into the sky. His shirt burned away, the tattoos on his arms being ripped from his skin. The skin itself lost the veins that made Kessler stand out, and his pale complexion darkened to a light tan. With a second burst of electricity, now a light blue, the torrent stopped. Picking herself up rapidly, Amber rushed to Kessler, who slumped on both knees. Ignoring the smoke rising from Kessler's body, Amber circled round to see his face. His scar had faded but was visible, and he was unconscious.

Unsure what to do, Amber knelt holding him up as footsteps clattered behind her. Students surrounded the teachers, shocked and immobile. Thankfully, a familiar voice parted the crowd.

"Everyone break it up!" Ordered Glynda Goodwitch, her clothes still dirtied but in better condition than her fellow staff members. "Return to your dorms or go about on your business. The staff will deal with this." As students left in fear of Glynda, said teacher rushed to Amber's side.

"What did he do?!" Glynda asked severely.

Amber stammered her way through her explanation. "K-Kessler, he… well he helped Ruby… but he said it came with con-consequences."

"Consequences?" Glynda highlighted.

"He… he said the worst scenario was… was…" Amber couldn't finish her sentence.

"Was?" Pressed Glynda.

"Death…" Came a voice from behind Kessler. Yang and Ruby stood in the doorway, the younger sister aided by the elder. The commotion had brought them out of the infirmary, followed by Jaune and Pyrrha not too far behind. Glynda's eyes widened in horror, instantly making her press her head to Kessler's chest. Faint and dying was Kessler's heartbeat, and Glynda's eyes betrayed that fact.

"MOVE!" She shouted, dragging up Kessler with her as she made for the door. "Get him to the infirmary now!"

Both women carried Kessler into Ruby's infirmary room, setting him down on the bed. Glynda looking around for a solution.

"His heartbeat is fading! What do we do?" Asked the normally composed teacher.

"The same way he helped Ruby." Replied Amber quickly. Darting her gaze around the room, a green box on a wall caught her eye. On the front a lightning bolt was depicted, symbolising a defibrillator. Ripping open the box, Amber didn't even apply the protective pads as she pressed the handles on Kessler and squeezed the buttons. Nothing happened. Panic filled Amber as she pressed again and again. Soon she felt a humming, and she looked to the box. Glynda had her hand on it, having flicked a switch. Breathing deep, Amber pressed again hard, shocking Kessler. After the shock she brought her ear to his chest, hearing a steadying heartbeat. Relief was shared between both staff members, smiling over their emergency work. After a short while, Glynda tapped Amber's shoulder.

"I will go tell Professor Ozpin what has happened. Please watch over him." Said Glynda caringly. As Amber was left alone, she sat down in the chair that Yang had used to watch over Ruby. Leaning back in it exhausted, she smiled. She wasn't sure why, given all the stress today had forced on her, all the pain Kessler had caused, she smiled as he lay safe on the infirmary bed. From her exhausted posture, she spoke to the unconscious Kessler.

"You better have a good reason for all the trouble you've caused us. Or even Oz isn't going to save you from the beating I'll give you when you wake up."

* * *

 **And so Cole's karma state is reset to neutral. My thought process with the reverse Karmic Shift was that since no-one ever really swapped karma in a play-through, what would happen if Cole was reset by doing something exceptionally selfless?**

 **Either way, I hope you enjoyed, please leave reviews because I love answering them.**

 **See you for the next chapter.**

 **Wardtortle, out!**


	6. Empire State in the Mind

**Ugh, this chapter and the next two are a sort of necessary evil. I need to set the canon for you guys to understand, but I prefer writing the chapters set in Remnant.**

 **Either way, review time!**

 **Noob6: Cole was at the infamous Karma rank before his reset, so yeah... not pretty.**

 **Six samurai of dragon order: Cheers man!**

 **Dog: As always you've been a great help, good detailed criticism! With regards to his own reality, Cole's one is gone, but others do exist (multiverse theory's a bitch). About his evil powers, I'm going of the basis of how in the second game, if you did both karma paths, you got free access, and you may see where I'm going with the canon I'm setting out. Trust me, I've thought this out waaaaay too much.**

 **kyrogue23: You'd be right since Cole is stuck around characters like Amber and Ruby, but it doesn't mean he'll be all hero. Cole's powers are going to be a mix of first and second game, plus a few I'm keeping to myself. For now.**

 **Without further ado. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Vale – White Fang Hideout:**

Few people scared Roman Torchwick, being the infamous crime boss of Vale. Cinder Fall though, Cinder terrified him. On first encounter, she was a seductive, intelligent ally. Now she was outright dangerous. When she returned from her excursion outside of Vale, she had instantly burnt any person who aggravated her. The sheer intensity of the flames she generated were enough to force a large radius between her and anyone who served her. But during the weeks since she had returned, her mood had worsened, edging dangerously close to insanity in most peoples' opinions. Cinder hid in the hideout, muttering about a Beast, Conduits and places no-one had ever heard of. According to her lackeys, Emerald and Mercury, her plan to obtain a certain power went awry. Someone intervened and she stole the wrong powers. Now every time Cinder grew angry, she threatened bringing down their hideout down on top of everyone. This set their plans back massively, as Cinder had only one command: Find Cole MacGrath.

* * *

 **Beacon – Sunday:**

Cole MacGrath felt like death, his body metaphorically burning from skin to bone. Lying in the infirmary was torture, and he couldn't move his arms to drain any electrical sources. All he could do was stare at the bland ceiling. Worst of all, he had been alone in the room since he woke up hours ago.

' _I guess I deserved this.'_ Thought Cole, slowly recounting the events of Saturday, from his drunken violence to his near death. As he had stepped outside after Pulse Healing Ruby, Cole had felt his body rip itself apart. The sensation of dying like that was just like when he used the RFI, almost killing himself alongside Kuo and Nix. Then, in his dying state, he felt a shock of electricity, enough to kick-start his healing, but the healing was too slow. Now Cole had to put with isolation until someone showed up. And someone did arrive, but not to treat him in the way he expected.

"Good to see you're awake." Spoke a soft voice from beside Cole. Straining to look into his peripherals, Cole saw Amber stood beside his bed, smirking. "How are you feeling?"

"Like hammered shit." Cole answered bluntly.

"Would this help?" A yellow crystal was suspended from Amber's fingers in front of Cole. Trying to reach for it, Cole grimaced through raising his arm, only to drop short of the crystal and bang his arm on the side of his bed.

"AH! FUCK!" Yelled Cole, pain jolting up his arm.

"Yeah, I'm told banging your arm hurts." Amber commented condescendingly.

"No shit doc." Was Cole's sarcastic reply.

"I'll make it better if you can explain why you thought almost killing yourself was a good idea."

"Seriously? We're doing this?" Complained Cole.

Amber's face turned serious, the compassionate woman gone strict. "Yes, we are." Glaring at Cole angrily, Amber continued. "After everything you did yesterday, why was sacrificing your health to make Ruby immediately better, a good idea?"

Cole turned his gaze to the ceiling again. "It wasn't a good idea. But it was the right thing to do."

"No it wasn't!" Snapped Amber. "And don't even think of claiming it was selfless! You only did it to feel better about yourself!"

Cole attempted to speak up. "Amber I-"

"Shut up!" Cole could hear Amber crying, forcing him to look at her. "It was bad enough for us all that Ruby almost died! Losing you instead would've been just as bad, even if you are an asshole sometimes."

"I'm sorry…" Cole croaked through his dry throat. "I've suffered so much loss since I became a Conduit, and I guess it made me lose sight of the fact I'm still human."

The crystal was placed in Cole's palm, Amber wiping away the tears on her face. "Well, be a man and share it with us. Everything." Slowly the crystal was drained, Cole sitting up carefully. As soon as he felt ready to stand, Cole stepped towards Amber and hugged her.

"It won't be pretty, but I'll try. And… thanks... for caring."

Amber sniffled, returning the hug subconsciously. "No problem." After breaking the hug, she continued. "Now, let's go to Ozpin's office. You have an audience waiting." Turning to the door, Amber felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Uh... Amber." Cole said as Amber turned. "Fancy getting me a new shirt first?

Amber beheld Cole's half-naked and quite muscular form and blushed. "I-uh… sure, do you have your keycard?" Amber asked, looking away slightly.

"Of course. Here." Cole reached into his pockets, the trousers he wore now a dull grey due to his shift in karma. Quickly grabbing the keycard, Amber rushed out to retrieve one of Cole's shirts. Back in the infirmary, Cole smirked, then laughed at Amber's teenage girl reaction.

' _Oh I am not going to let her live this down.'_ He thought as he hopped back onto the infirmary bed to wait.

* * *

 **Beacon – Ozpin's Office:**

Smothering was the air around Ruby as both her own team and Team JNPR huddled around her protectively. Ruby had insisted that she was perfectly fine, and didn't need to be guarded or helped. Yang was having none of her protests, one arm constantly wrapped round Ruby for protection. You could argue it did more harm than protection, given Ruby's near constant struggling. On the other side of the office stood the staff who fought Kessler, discussing school matters casually, less notably on edge than their students. Though everyone in the room jumped as the elevator door slid open, revealing Amber and Kessler. Shockingly to everyone but Amber, Kessler's pale face was gone, the veins receded and his scar faded. Kessler's formal shirt was gone too, replaced with a grey t-shirt with an inner yellow part. Strapped across his back was his sling bag and the Amp. The atmosphere was tense as Kessler stepped out into the middle of the office, only his footsteps and the clockwork above sounding.

"Good afternoon, Cole." Addressed Ozpin, confusing the students. "How are you feeling?"

"Almost brand new, you don't look too bad yourself Oz." Replied Kessler with a smile.

"Nothing a good cup of coffee can't fix." Ozpin stated. This earned a nod of approval from Oobleck. "Speaking of." Ozpin indicated to his coffee machine tucked in a corner.

"I'll pass." Refused Cole, looking towards the bewildered and equally scared students. "How're you doing Ruby?"

Breaking free of Yang's arm, Ruby stepped forward a little. "Better than my friends want to admit." Mumbled protests came from behind Ruby.

Cole smirked, unhooking his Amp he offered it grip first to the small girl. "I decided to read your file on the way here. Read you're a weapon nut. Go on, take it."

Gingerly Ruby took the Amp from Kessler, holding it up with ease since she wielded a scythe just as heavy. As soon as she had a good grasp on it she frowned, hoping the weapon would activate. Cole noted her disapproval.

"Yeah, it won't work for anyone but me. My best buddy Zeke made it especially for me, so it needs a continuous electric current through it to work."

"Oh…" mumbled Ruby, moving to give it back. Shaking his head, Cole indicated for Ruby to hold onto it.

"I have a long story to tell you all first." Then Kessler's face contorted as if he had realised something. "Or… I could show you."

"Show us? How, exactly?" Asked Oobleck, intrigued.

"Not every power I have is for combat, but I need to make contact with everyone's heads first." Answered Kessler, tapping the side of his head.

Oobleck stepped forward. "Then let me go first. I, for one am incredibly interested in what your world possesses." Cole then walked up to the professor, placing two fingers on either side of Oobleck's temple. After a brief moment, Oobleck stumbled back.

"Who? What?" He uttered with a confused look.

"I guess linking up has shown you something. What did you see?"

"A man. An old man, in a hooded white cloak." Oobleck stated.

"I'll explain once everyone is done."

Ozpin then stepped up, recoiling back after, claiming he saw a man of fire. Port boldly stepped forwards next, but saw only a crater in a city. Glynda witnessed an old man atop a giant tower. And Amber, saw Trish, helping the injured. The staff chatted quietly amongst themselves as Kessler turned to the students. Most were hesitant, but Ruby, Pyrrha and Nora stepped forward bravely. Curiosity got the better of Blake, Ren and Weiss in the end. Yang and Jaune conceded to peer pressure. Zeke flashed through Ruby's mind. Blake saw protests against Conduits. Ren and Nora were both shown a giant monster, destroying a city. Weiss stood briefly amongst a crowd, watching a man point a sword above his head. Pyrrha caught glimpses of men wielding ice. Yang watched a strange woman vanish in a puff of smoke. Every person in the room was linked to Kessler's mind.

"Professor Kessler, what did you show us?" Asked Weiss, rubbing her forehead while processing the image in here mind.

"Glimpses of the big picture I'll show you now." Kessler explained. "And as I told your teachers, my name, is Cole MacGrath." With his name revealed, Kessler swept his arms out, and a familiar void met the room.

* * *

 **Mental Void – Empire City:**

Third time round, Cole was used to the weird lack of the laws of physics in the void. The same could not be said for the others. Teams RWBY and JNPR struggled to stabilise themselves to Cole's orientation. Though Nora, Ruby and Yang just enjoyed the feeling of weightlessness, spinning and flipping uncontrollably. Even the staff suffered, all but Ozpin toppling over themselves uncharacteristically. Cole and Ozpin laughed at the ridiculous situation before them, much to the chagrin of those not enjoying themselves. It took Cole a few minutes to stop laughing, and after he had, he snapped his fingers. Instantly everyone was corrected upwards, finding themselves stood in a bustling city. Normal civilians went about their daily routines, cars drove by in long lines of traffic, and buildings stood tall.

"Ugh… Where are we?" Asked Jaune, feeling sick.

"Welcome to my home. Empire City." Cole floated above the inhabitants of Remnant. "This is the day my life changed." Looking down, he noticed that his guests were freaking out, the mental constructs of civilians passing through them. "I'm showing you my past, technically we don't exist."

"This city is packed!" Exclaimed Yang. "How many people live here?"

"Never bothered to know, a few tens of thousands I guess." Cole admitted lazily.

"You say that like it means nothing." Blake added. Most of the group studied the city in awe, but Ozpin got straight to the point.

"You mentioned this was the day your life changed? How?"

"I dropped out of college and got a job as a bike courier. Mostly to piss off my parents." Cole explained with a slight smirk. "I was someone you'd never notice. Just a guy delivering packages to folks you'd never know." Everyone found it hard to believe that Cole was originally an average Joe, but listened anyway. "Then one day…" Cole pointed to a man stood in the crowd. The Remnant group followed his finger, to see another version of Cole, his signature sling bag and a yellow and black biker jacket on. In this Cole's hands, was a strange spherical device. "… A package found me."

"NO, STOP!" Screamed Ruby as the past Cole pushed the device together. Blinding light expanded from the device, followed by the screams of thousands. Shielding themselves did nothing to protect them as the world went black. Through the darkness a grizzled voice spoke.

"Activation plus six minutes. Pulse is forty-five. Respiration ten. Lookin' good, Cole."

Readjusting their eyesight, the students and teachers looked around to see utter devastation. Buildings had collapsed, fires burned and in the epicentre of the crater, lay the past Cole. Bleeding, battered and completely disoriented, the past Cole stood. Above him floated the present Cole and his companions. Cole was emotionless, watching like he had seen this sight enough times not to care. The others… were horrified.

"Why did you do it?" Cried Ruby, her innocence ruined by the scene before her.

With a sad, gravelly voice, the real Cole explained to Ruby. "I actually have no memory of how I got there." Drifting over to Ruby, Cole placed a hand on her head. "I'm sorry, but accept that none of you can change this. I tried to go back in time and stop this, and here I am now, with you."

"So you expect us to sit back and watch?" Blake asked, her sensitive cat ears aching from the Blast.

"Yes. You wanted to see my life. Here it is, in all its messed up glory." Cole replied, waving his arm as everything cut to a bridge. Lightning struck randomly around the past Cole as he fled for his life. Reaching the end of the bridge, he collapsed, two people rushing to his side. The Real Cole hung his head when he saw them.

Pyrrha noticed his sombre expression. "Who are they?"

Cole pointed to the fat man. "Zeke Dunbar." Then he shifted his finger to the girl. "Trish Dailey."

"Cole's wife and best man." Explained Amber sadly to the crew.

Cole's head still hung, but he muttered under his breath. "Not mine…" Composing himself, Cole waved the scene onwards. Now before them towered a twisting statue, a large crate dangling from its peak.

"Two weeks had passed, a plague spread. Our government dropped food and supplies while caging us like animals." Cole spoke as his past self climbed the statue expertly, blasting off the cable that suspended the crate.

"Brave and noble." Commented Port.

"Not really. The fall wouldn't do anything to me, and we all needed to eat." Corrected Cole, his gaze flicking to the streets as some red-hooded thugs, Reapers, forced their way to the fallen food crate with gunfire.

"Friends of yours Rubes?" Quipped Yang. Ruby gave her sister a 'not funny' glare. "What? I was trying to lighten the mood a little."

"Not much of my life was funny after the Blast." Past Cole dispatched of the Reapers simply, then turned to the civilian crowd. The students were all entranced by the combat, but the staff noted Past Cole's hesitant looks at the civilians. Amber floated herself up to the Real Cole looking into the emotionless grey eyes.

"Cole? What were you thinking at that moment?" Asked Amber with concern, it scared her to see Cole so blank.

"Share or steal." Muttered Cole, watching as his past self let the crowd be. Then he turned his attention to the gigantic screen on a building beyond the statue. On it, the Voice of Survival, showing footage of the Blast, with Cole as the perpetrator. Those Cole had helped to feed shunned him, and Trish left in tears. Again Amber asked Cole questions.

"Why did Trish leave? She loved you." Cole watched the ghost of his girlfriend leave before answering.

"The Blast killed her sister. In the moment I was labelled a terrorist, I almost lost everything." Pity was the only emotion directed at Cole. The monstrous man who had harmed Ruby was slowly slipping from the memories of the inhabitants of Remnant.

"Long story short; Zeke and I decided to try and get the hell out of Empire City. Our government saw otherwise." Barbwire and rows of machine guns rose from nothing, the environment changing to a fortified bridge. Civilians screamed in agony over the repetitive roar of gunfire, while the Past Cole dived into an offset building. Within the building sat a woman, offering Cole a way out of Empire City and a clear name.

"Moya, my government contact." Introduced Cole bitterly. "She tried to use me to find a man named John White and the Ray Sphere."

"Ray Sphere?" quizzed Glynda.

"The device you saw me use to create the Blast. It takes the neuro-electric energy of thousands of people and centres it on the user, forcing the Conduit Gene to develop rapidly." The students were entirely lost, having been left out of the rules behind Cole's powers.

"Conduit Jeans? Like the clothing?" Ruby asked with childish intellect. Weiss decided to clip Ruby over the head for her question.

Cole let out an exasperated sigh. "G-E-N-E, I'm no scientist and I dropped out of school, but basically it is part of what makes a person unique. And the Conduit Gene is a one in a thousand chance to naturally develop powers."

"Oh…" Ruby rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

"Can I move on?" Cole asked impatiently, prompting the rest to nod. Time skipped a little more, to Cole destroying a pump on top of a water tower. Black tar spilled over the Past Cole, causing him to cough violently.

"Euugh, what is that?" Asked Yang, grossed out by the tar.

"The source of the plague. A tar created by a demented Conduit named Sasha." Cole shivered a little at her name. "Stuff kills normal humans, but me. Let's just say it gave me some pretty crazy trips."

"And destroying the pumps prevented it spreading." Assumed Blake.

"Bingo. But these pumps aren't the reason I showed you this." Everyone followed Cole as he dropped to the roof, staring across to another. "He is."

"The man from my vision." Stated Oobleck.

"Yeah… the man behind everything." Confirmed Cole, staring with both hate and pity as the man blinked onto the rooftop they all stood upon. Immediately everyone noted the mechanical parts adorning his body under the trench coat. Creepily he stared at the Past Cole with bright blue eyes that lacked pupils.

"I hate to ask but… everyone else probably wants to ask the same question. Uh… who is he?" Jaune asked nervously, looking to the contorting face of the Present Cole. And Cole replied with one word, one name that everyone until now had used so normally.

"Kessler."

* * *

 **Not much to say right now. A little disappointed with English football but I digress.**

 **Please leave reviews, and I'll see you in the next chapter!**

 **Wardtortle, out!**


	7. Heartbreak

**A good day today! Won big money at a friend's poker session and drank a lot. Then came back and wrote this chapter in full. Still not a fan of writing flashback chapters for characters that everyone can go and look up the story for, but oh well.**

 **Reviews!**

 **Warden of Lore: Maybe, but in the grand scheme of things for inFAMOUS, Sasha is a small fry.**

 **Dog: Thanks for the constant support!**

 **LDKV: I know man, but I couldn't help myself.**

 **Noob6: You are bang on the money with your thoughts, but I'm not saying anything else.**

 **The Prancing Jaeger: Thanks man!**

 **And now, onwards!**

* * *

 **Cole's Memories – Empire City:**

Cole really wished for his phone camera at this point. Despite the severity of his history, the looks on the Remnant Groups faces were priceless. Not only did the students stand dumbfounded at the newest revelation, but the staff looked at each other expecting another to explain. Even Ozpin couldn't quite wrap his head round what Cole had said. Honestly, Cole had not expected such a reaction about Kessler, believing it would come much later on. Sitting back in mid-air, Cole effectively paused his memory, waiting for a proper response. Getting the chance to sit back, Cole could properly survey the students, his students. Behind all the weaponry and flashy colours, they were all still teenagers, especially Ruby. Cole felt bad that he had to show the fifteen year old Ruby such horrific sights, but he promised them all an explanation. Ideas rattled off for ways to make it up to them again, but a voice cut him short.

"Whoa, whoa. Hold up." Spoke up a certain blonde brawler. "I thought you, were Kessler."

"You're not that blonde Yang, think about it" Mocked Cole with a smirk. Irritated, Yang paused to think.

"Ok. So you took his name. Why?"

"That would be spoiling the fun." Smirked Cole, forgetting how terrible his life was for once. Snapping his fingers, the scene continued.

" **She's going to be pretty pissed about this."** Stated Kessler to the Past Cole.

"She?" Asked Nora. Cole paused the scene again.

"Sasha, the Conduit I mentioned before. Outright loony if you ask me." Replied Cole. "Sasha ran the Reapers, her tar acting as a mind control agent which slowly killed those infected except Conduits."

"That's horrible." Commented Pyrrha with her hand over her mouth.

"You know what, loony doesn't cut it for Sasha. Lady was completely insane and had the creepiest thing for me." Cole shivered at the mention of her affections, no-one wanted to know. "Let's just move on."

" **Who the hell are you?"** Asked the Past Cole.

" **Just a concerned citizen. Now hold still!"** Instantly Kessler leapt, his fingers digging into the sides of Cole's head. Present Cole stood between the two groups as the scene played out, watching his own rather than the past more. After Kessler had released Cole and vanished, the Present Cole stopped everything and turned to his companions.

"What the _fuck_ did he do to you?!" Yang shouted angrily.

"Language, Miss Xiao-Long!" Lectured Glynda, forcing Yang to smack a hand over her mouth.

"The reverse of what I'm doing."

Ren caught onto what Cole was saying. "The reverse meaning…"

"The future, yeah." Cole answered for Ren. "Turns out not every power is unique."

"Interesting." Mused Ozpin, recovered to his nonchalant nature. "What did you see?"

Cole reversed time to the crater with a flick of his wrist, then spreading out his arms to gesture to whole crater. "Things too horrible to describe. But take this crater, make it city-wide with death littering every inch of concrete."

No-one had an answer to that, stuttering and stopping before they could produce clear sentences. Without interruption, Cole scrolled the timeline of his memories slowly past his battle with Sasha. Her twisted form disturbed those watching, and her obsessive and sexual nature made the less controlled members of the Remnant Group squirm uncomfortably. Further scenes played, Cole turning on power, Zeke being freed and the friends arguing. Then everything slowed to normal pace as a rocket blasted Cole off the roof of a bus. Glynda gasped as an exceedingly old man lifted said bus high into the air, and onto the roof of a hospital.

"It's no coincidence you saw Alden." Noticed Cole, speaking to Glynda. "The old man may have been childishly crazy, but boy was he powerful."

"He puts me to shame." Commented an awe-struck Glynda.

Deciding to supportive, Cole stepped beside Glynda to look at Alden. "Give yourself some credit, the man was old, really old. Plus the Blast enhanced his powers to that level. Naturally, he wasn't that strong." Glynda continued to stare as Cole floated up to the roof with everyone, watching his past self kill, not restrain, the captors of Trish. It was the first sign of brutality in Cole's actions, and not the last.

Amber focused on the Present Cole over the Past. "She really meant that much to you. That you killed to save her."

"Yeah, and even with me killing them, Trish and I fixed our relationship." Cole smiled, watching as his past self hugged Trish lovingly. The moment brought a few small tears to the students' eyes. No-one noticed Cole step back and bow his head in misery. Swiping the memories on subconsciously, soared up to a tower of junk that stood high above any building in the district. Atop the tower sat Alden, the Ray Sphere strapped to the device he was within. Cole and Zeke faced off against him and his Dust-Men bravely, with Zeke pulling on the Ray Sphere to yank it free.

Cole narrated the scene as the battle enfolded. "Alden possessed the Ray Sphere, so John White, the man Moya was looking for, tasked me with defeating Alden and retrieving it. He also allowed Zeke to help out." With the battle coming to an end, the ranting old man turned on the newest arrival.

" **Kessler! You stole my childhood, my home! You** _ **dare**_ **come here!"**

Kessler retorted, shaking his head condescendingly, **"Poor, poor Alden. All that potential, squandered. Your father would've been so disappointed."**

Alden's rage triggered, he howled threats. **"You dare mention my father! I'll kill you, all of you! Tear you from limb to limb!"**

" **Zeke, get out of here! Run!"** Ordered the Past Cole, and everything stopped once more.

"Why did you stop?!" Complained Ruby, but when everyone spun to face Cole, he wasn't there.

" _Just watch."_ Echoed Cole's gravelly voice. _"I don't want to watch this again."_ Everyone asked themselves what could be so bad that Cole would hide away. Then they realised as Zeke ripped the Ray Sphere from its cradle. Stuck between Alden and Kessler, holding the most powerful weapon in existence, Zeke did the unthinkable.

"NO!" Screamed everyone collectively. In response, the city screamed too. Bright blue light flashed out from Zeke's hands, coating the darkening sky. But nothing happened, time seemingly reverted as Zeke once again stood between Alden and Kessler, confused. But this time, Kessler seized his opportunity with a grin and an outstretched hand.

" **I knew this would happen. The Ray Sphere is broken. But** _ **I**_ **can fix it, give you what you most desire. The power you crave."**

Zeke glanced to the Past Cole, and betrayed him. Trading his greatest friendship for the promise of power.

" **NOOOOO!"** Howled Alden, tearing apart his own monument in a fit of rage. Past Cole stared, frozen, then a metal beam crashed down on top of him. On impact the world went dark, the students and staff of Beacon sharing upset glances.

"Why…?" Asked Ruby quietly, her exuberant energy lost.

" _Power tends to corrupt…"_ Quoted Cole's voice throughout the void.

"… And absolute power corrupts absolutely." Ozpin finished for the Conduit. With that, Cole reappeared.

"Our friendship never truly healed beyond that moment, even with Zeke never getting powers." The void slowly melded back into Alden's Tower, with both Cole's perched on the edge overlooking a bridge to the Historic District.

"The more and more I see, the worse I feel about the bad things I thought of you." Yang commented apologetically.

"Don't." Cole said quickly. "My fight with Alden was the peak of my heroic actions."

Weiss took her chance to contribute once more. "Speaking of Alden. I believe him and Kessler had some history."

"History is putting it very lightly Miss Schnee. And a poor use of the word at that." Interrupted Doctor Oobleck in a lecturing tone.

"Sorry Ice Queen, Barty is closer." Cole said to regain everyone's attention. "When I said Alden was old, I meant it. But Kessler is older." Faces shifted into disbelief once more, but then it made sense for the hooded man to be part machine. "Kessler took control of Alden's birthright, the organisation called the First Sons, when Alden was even younger than Ruby."

"No wonder old and grumpy had a fit when Kessler showed up." Said Yang, who then proceeded to use herself as an example. "I mean, you've seen me when someone messes with my hair. If I was as angry as the old man, anyone I hit would be paste on the closest surface."

"With all his ranting and anger though, I still bested him." Cole then dropped off the edge of the tower with his past self. Exposed to the idea of none of their environment being real for so long, most issues were ignored by the Remnant Group. But none could be casual as they watched Cole Thunder Drop to the bottom of Alden's Tower, and stand without any scratches of breakages. Well, except the crater in the concrete below. Out of nowhere, Cole's voice spoke to those remaining on the tower. _"If you want a small break from the doom and gloom, jump."_

Not wanting to pass up an experience so exhilarating, Yang's inner thrill seeker forced her to jump over the edge almost immediately. Ruby and Nora both shared a smirk before leaping too, laughing all the way down. Ren, not wanting to disappoint Nora, and not seeing the harm in jumping, did. Surprising to both students and staff, Amber followed after JNPR's ninja. The flying sensation was not new to her, since she could with her Maiden powers to some extent. Nevertheless Amber smiled the whole way down, landing more softly than expected. The three girls who jumped before her were huddled, laughing and chatting with adrenaline pumping still. Shortly after, Ozpin of all people landed, followed closely by his staff, then Weiss and Blake. Last but not least came Jaune, dragged down by Pyrrha.

The shared experience gave them much to chat about, but Amber noticed Cole standing separate, rubbing an arm nervously. Breaking from the group, Amber walked up and saw an expression of fear and doubt on his face.

"Cole?" The Conduit didn't move, he just kept rubbing his arm and staring to the ground. Amber was going to speak again, but Cole had managed to form a sentence before her.

"I don't… I can't live this moment again. It hurts, more and more each time." Amber hugged Cole tightly, hoping that her support would push him through. Across the street, the students noticed.

"You know, since the first class, I could picture them as a couple." Yang shipped with a smirk. The girls all agreed and giggled, except one. The only Faunus of the students saw the situation differently. Her heightened senses and night vision showed the truth, that Cole was scared of what came next. And if he was scared, she was too. As the two teachers broke apart, the scene shifted once again, to a collapsing bridge and a giant metal construct. Cole stood before Alden, throwing attacks back and forth. Alden all the while screamed and ranted, blaming Kessler and Cole for his misery.

" **You and Kessler. Are one and the same!"** Yelled Alden mid-battle, but everyone glossed over it as mindless raging. Though Cole knew better, Alden was being literal for once. Defeated and scared, Alden threw himself into the water below when Cole showed a little mercy.

"Bawk, chicken!" Taunted Nora as the old man fell. Eyes were rolled at Nora's comment while Port clapped Cole on the back, praising him for an excellent victory. Cole's heart wasn't in it to smile back though, and the staff noticed the sombre look.

Ozpin stepped up beside Cole, not looking at him. "Dare I ask what comes next?"

"One of the worst moments of my life. I don't want to-" Cole vanished, with him the scenery changed. In the Historic District stood the Past Cole, Kessler speaking to him over his phone. The Present Cole struggled beside his twin, gripping his head in pain and sorrow.

"Please… don't make me choose again. Just let me hide… please…" Cole begged as the two began to merge into one. Cole flickered between his two forms, one angry, the other weeping. Each person tried to reach out to Cole, to pull him back, but they were held back themselves.

" **We cannot intervene, for this is Cole's subconscious punishing him for his actions. These are mental scars that cannot be healed from within the mind.** " A new voice and a new figure presented himself to the Remnant Group. Topless and shoeless, but clad in a red suit jacket and trousers, floated a scarred, black man with red eyes.

"Who are you? And how did you get here?" Demanded Weiss coldly. Without averting his gaze from Cole's conflicting forms, the man answered.

" **I have been here for a while, though honestly I'm not sure why I still exist.** "

"And _who_ are you?" Seconded Pyrrha.

" **Someone important. Someone Cole knows, but never needs to know I was here. Now watch, these mental scars redefined Cole.** " The man faded into fire, allowing the memory to play on with Kessler's monologue.

" **And it comes down to this – your final test. From one roof hangs Trish. The love of your life."** All eyes peered through the dark sky to a singular figure suspended high above the streets. **"From the other, six doctors."** In the other direction were six similarly suspended doctors. **"Think of all the good they'll be able to do, the thousands they'll save. Which is more important Cole? The life of one, or the lives of many?"**

"I can't watch this." Stated Pyrrha in horror, turning away with reddening eyes. Jaune followed her, more out of a sense of comforting friendship than to avoid watching.

"But he chose to save Trish right? They got married…" Noted Ruby hesitantly, watching as the Past Cole sprinted towards Trish's building, the flicker of the Real Cole screaming to go the other way. Following him, the staff and students could only watch as Cole climbed the building in a hurry, reaching the top in only a few superhuman leaps. Kessler again taunted Cole.

" **I expected more from you. Thought you'd be able to set aside your selfishness, see the big picture."** Upon Cole reaching the building's summit, Kessler gave one final declarative statement. **"Looks like I was wrong."**

" **Trish"** Screamed out the Past Cole, only to be met with a cruel truth.

" **Who the hell's Trish? Get me out of this!"** Screamed the woman beneath the hood. On the other building the bombs went off, dropping the six to their deaths, with one voice chilling Cole's companions.

" **Cole!"** Pleaded Trish loudly as she fell. Cole could only scream her name as she fell.

" **Trish!"** Reaching her as her body cracked against the sidewalk, Cole reached out with his Pulse Heal, bringing her back for a brief moment. In this moment the Coles separated, cruelly forcing the present one back, away from Trish and onto his knees. Then everything began to crumble, Empire City melting away and reforming, into Ozpin's office. Groggily, those involved in the mental journey began to sit up. Tears formed in a few of their eyes as they remembered the last scene played to them. How Trish had emotionally praised Cole for all he had done, then died, broken in the arms of the man she loved. It was unexpected too, everyone thought the two got married. Cole had a photo to prove it. Simultaneously, Cole was searched for, but he was gone. The only clue to tell where he had gone was the open window in the office, and the dropped photo next to it.

* * *

 **A shorter chapter than normal, but I plan to try and do all of New Marais in one chapter (not the next chapter) before I head off for a week to celebrate my brother graduating university.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter though, please leave reviews and I'll see you all soon.**

 **Wardtortle, out!**


	8. End of the Road

**This took, far too long, and I'm sorry it did. Really busy past few days in the UK, work and all the hassle of the referendum on my mind.**

 **So let's move onto reviews!**

 **Dog: Constant support, greatly appreciated!**

 **Noob6: I think it should have been like this for the inFAMOUS series canonically, but people couldn't bear killing Zeke being canon.**

 **Argoldshire: Lots of reviews, I try to lengthen my fights and scenes in general, but time isn't always something I have.**

 **Now let's wrap up Empire City!**

* * *

 **Ozpin's Office:**

Life is unfair. That was the lesson Ruby learnt as she watched Trish fall. She could only watch as Cole desperately tried to bring her back, and he did, only for her to die in his arms. Tears flowed down her face as the world around her collapsed back into Ozpin's office. And while everyone staggered to their feet, traumatised but more concerned for their absent guide, Ruby curled up crying. Her mother had been stolen from her at a young age, and that left her with a hole in her heart. So if Ruby had a hole in her heart like that, how much of Cole's heart remained? It took minutes of Yang comforting Ruby to finally quieten the young girl. Meanwhile, the other students sat in quiet discussion.

"Kessler's intentions were good, what I don't get is his method." Blake summarised her opinion before dropping deep into thought once more.

Heads nodded all round before Jaune took a verbal part in the discussion. "Blake's right, with all the money and forces he had, why resort to terrorism?"

"We simply don't hold enough facts to answer that Jaune." Jaune bowed his head as Weiss derailed his train of thought.

"Both of you are right." Supported Pyrrha, gaining a small smile from Jaune. "But I'm most interested in Kessler's focus on Cole."

"His focus… no, _obsession_ , with Cole stems from the fact that Cole is extremely powerful." Weiss countered, but surprisingly her own argument was cut down too.

Blake mumbled through the hand resting thoughtfully over her mouth. "No, there's more to it. Like you said Weiss, Kessler is obsessed. He seems to know Cole inside and out, to the point where he knew which choice Cole would make between Trish and the doctors."

"Most would expect Cole to sacrifice Trish for the doctors based on his actions." Ren chipped in for Blake, hoping to break away from Nora's constant chatter. "But…"

"But Kessler knew he'd go for Trish. Which raises the question, how?" Finished Blake, gaining and approving nod from Ren. With more questions than answers, the students silenced themselves to think over the events they just saw.

Ozpin's office eventually hushed as the students fell into their own thoughts, only the ever-present ticking of clockwork making any sound. The Headmaster had been busy searching every corner of Beacon with his cameras, but furrowed his brow with each camera he failed to find Cole. Not even one recording at the foot of the CCT showed Cole land. Flying off with the Static Thrusters Cole possessed was a possibility to why no cameras had located the Conduit. With the pressure to get results, Ozpin explained the situation with disappointment in his voice.

"I'm afraid I cannot locate Mr MacGrath."

"We must have some idea of where he has gone. Somewhere we do not have cameras?" Suggested Oobleck with a pensive look and a hand to his chin.

Ozpin nodded, but shot down the idea. "All routes to dormitories have cameras, and none have cut out within the time I have been searching."

Amber then invested her opinion to the debate. "Somewhere with no cameras, and that he can be alone. Somewhere no-one could find him." Ticking clockwork resumed as the prominent sound, until it clicked in Amber's mind where Cole could be. Walking to the open window, she stepped out onto the ledge.

"Amber. Where are you going?" Asked Ozpin with slight concern.

Reaching up, Amber posed one last question Ozpin before pulling herself up and out of sight. "What is Cole's best skill besides his powers?"

A small smile crept over Ozpin's face. "Climbing." The Headmaster then strode casually across his office to pour some coffee, taking a large sip from his mug. "For once, I made a good choice."

 **Beacon Tower's Roof:**

Manually climbing the tower was a painful task. Despite Aura and her light weight, Amber could not ascend the tower because the tower simply lacked decent means to climb to exterior. Being above the clouds didn't help either. Heaving for air and straining to pull her body up each inch of the metal roof, Amber began having second thoughts. A lone figure atop the summit dashed those thoughts. Hanging off the spike that topped off the tower was Cole, gazing emptily into the distance. Howling winds buffeted the spire, as Amber struggled, Cole remained a statue.

"Cole!" Shouted Amber over the wind, edging closer to the summit. No response. Pushing on, Amber reached the spike, gripping it tightly for balance. "Cole!"

"How do you do it Amber?" Came the gravelly voice

"How do I do what?"

"Smile, be kind, be gentle, when the nightmares destroy you internally." Amber flinched, only Ozpin and Beacon's head doctor new of the nightmares, the moment she almost lost everything. Burned into her mind every night was the trio, the fight, then the woman. Her grin had frightened Amber, but the creature that she spawned, and controlled, terrified her. Without even knowing what the Grimm was, she knew what it could do, and it haunted her.

A single-worded question escaped Amber's lips. "When?"

Unmoving, Cole answered. "During the week we planned, you crashed in my room because you burnt yourself out, overthinking things like usual. Plus I'd recognise the symptoms of nightmares anywhere, I... still have them." Amber shifted her grip on the spike to swing perpendicular to Cole, gaining eye contact finally. Grey was such an emotionless colour, but Cole's eyes always showed strong emotion, mostly regret. "So… how do you do it?" Cole pressed his question.

Hooking an arm round the spike, Amber pondered the question a little before answering. "Well… I guess I get most of my traits from my mother. Compassionate, patient, brave. Never knew my father, so all her ideals rubbed off on me. When I think about it, I got practically everything from her."

"Hm." Replied Cole, obviously dissatisfied with the answer.

"You know what Cole? I actually think sharing your past has done you some good." Her tone was warm, genuine. A tone that no-one ever directed at him until now. Then the tone shifted, to urgency, which perked the Conduit's interest. "Perhaps we should continue this talk after we finish your memories." And then the reason came. "Also it is _freezing_ up here."

"Can't you summon fire from nothing?" Quipped Cole with a smirk. Amber was going to retort, opening and closing her mouth to speak, but Cole was completely right. Sighing loudly in defeat, Amber began to lower herself down the tower, only to be pulled back up by the arm. "If we're heading back, why not take a trip on the express elevator?"

"Uh… what?" Suddenly Amber found herself clinging onto Cole from behind, arms over his shoulders. Crouching low, the Conduit prepared to jump. "Y-you're not going to… oh Oum you are aren't you?"

"Express elevator going down!" Cole leapt outwards from the tower, freefalling with a screaming Amber clinging to his neck. Despite experiencing the same feeling in Cole's memories, the idea of falling at terminal velocity with dire consequences on impact removed all enjoyment. Amber screwed her eyes shut while hugging tight enough to challenge Yang. Wind whipped both adults as they plummeted through the clouds. Unlike the jump from Alden's Tower though, the freefall stopped short. Blinking open her eyes, Amber took in the mixture of expressions through the window before her. Ozpin and Oobleck had a raised eyebrows behind coffee mugs, Glynda looked mortified, while Port beamed with amusement.

Looking down, Amber could see Cole straining to suspend two human adults in the air with his Static Thrusters. Not wanting to plummet again, Amber silently pleaded for Glynda to do something. With a panicked flick of a riding crop, both adults were dragged excessively through the window, Amber now sprawled on top of Cole.

Cole groaned under the weight of Amber. "Note to self; express elevator had a capacity of one." This sentiment was replicated by Amber groaning atop Cole, neither properly aware of their situation.

"Quite." Deadpanned Ozpin. "If you two wouldn't mind separating now, we are in the presence of students."

The Conduit and the Maiden waited a few seconds to process Ozpin's words, slowly craning her head in the direction of the students. Yang, Nora and Pyrrha all wore similar mischievous grins, Weiss simply tutted in disapproval, but inwardly found it amusing. Ruby and Jaune stared on slightly confused, while Ren and Blake shared confused, but amused raised eyebrows. Turning back the man beneath her, Amber blushed and pushed up off of Cole rapidly.

Although the impact hardly affected Cole, he made a slow, dramatic rise to his feet. Joints cracked and muscles were stretched while the Conduit rose. Satisfied with his physical condition, Cole swivelled between the staff and students with a hand raised to snap his fingers. "Shall we?"

"Do continue." With the invitation to carry on, Cole snapped his fingers, and the world black out once more.

* * *

 **Cole's Memories:**

"Not long after losing Trish, I helped John track down the final piece between Kessler and us. The Ray Sphere."

Rather than the tragic sight that had driven the group from Cole's memories, a different, but equally important scene melded into existence. Past Cole stood at the end of a pier alongside John White, both of their faces illuminated by a pulsing blue light. Beacon's inhabitants turned, staring into the strange energy of the Ray Sphere. Even through a vision, the Ray Sphere's power could be felt, chilling those in its presence. No-one could believe a device of tremendous power, the cause of most of Cole's troubles, sat unguarded. Everyone could tell that the Past Cole was weighing his options, whatever they may be.

"I hate to ask but… what were you thinking about?" Glynda asked Cole.

"Whether I should destroy it. Or use it to gain more power for my fight with Kessler." Cole replied blankly, backing up from the metal casing surrounding the Ray Sphere. "You might want to step back, take in the show." Past Cole raised his arms to the sky, raw emotion seething from his body. All but Yang and Ruby recognised the stance, hopping off the platform in which the Ray Sphere was displayed. The sisters were entranced by the Ray Sphere, unaware of Past Cole dropping his arms. Thunder cracked, causing Ruby to jump into the arms of Yang as a torrent of lightning struck the Ray Sphere. Yang backpedalled with Ruby in a bridal carry, tripping over the edge of the platform and landing on the pier hard. Of course, the girls were fine, physical harm being impossible in the vision.

"Argh! The lightning is so intense!" Ren screamed with his hands clapped over his ears and his eyes averted a little.

"Don't worry Renny! I could protect you and absorb it all!" Boasted Nora, enjoying the destructive spectacle with her signature glee.

"Sounds like a challenge Nora." Commented Cole loudly over the lightning, gaining the ire of Glynda and Amber.

"Cole…" Both female teachers growled at the Conduit. Raising his arms defensively, the deafening barrage of lightning froze.

"Why'd you stop?" Asked Jaune, shaking his head to recover his senses.

"You'll all miss the important detail if I didn't." Cole received glances of confusion, a common theme this whole time. The sisters eventually detangled from the heap they found themselves, re-joining their team with stumbling steps. Weiss and Blake looked to each other and rolled their eyes at the uncoordinated sight. Staff members chuckled at the antics of Team RWBY. Cole let the humorous moment continue, Ruby whining as Yang hugged her and proudly claimed she was protecting Ruby. Weiss then proceeded to 'advise' her teammates on how to avoid such a situation again, giving Cole a window back into everyone's focus.

"Best advise girls. Treat the Ray Sphere like the Sun." All Cole got back was a 'what' from Ruby, prompting Weiss to further lecture the small girl. Sighing loud enough to draw gazes once more, Cole explained in simpler terms. "Just… watch John." A wave of the hand resumed the torrent of lightning, which quickly cracked open the Ray Sphere's casing and obliterated the weapon instantly. Naturally, the destruction of a superweapon came at a cost. Exploding with blue energy, the Ray Sphere tore John piece by piece in a second. John White peeled away into nothing, screaming as the Past Cole ran for his life. Now only the visitors of Cole's memories floated above the destroyed pier, visibly distraught once more.

"Oh Oum… it tore him apart." Glynda said, her eyes wide in horror.

"Yeah, poor guy spent so long trying to destroy the Ray Sphere, and it killed him for it." The visions were hell compared to Remnant, making its residents grateful they only had the Grimm and extremists to deal with.

"What now?" Cole looked down to Ruby, who stared up with tired eyes.

"End of the road." Water shifted into a crater, no longer smouldering but still catastrophic in design. In its centre stood the small rubble podium, atop it was Kessler and the Past Cole. Kessler gestured around him as he spoke to the Past Cole.

" **And here we are back where it all started. I was so worried that you weren't going to live through the blast. But you were fine."** Kessler let out a slight chuckle. **"More than fine actually."**

" **I remember your voice now. You were there after the bomb went off."**

" **I've always been there, Cole. Every step of your life"** A lightbulb flickered to life in Ozpin's mind, forcing him to turn to the real Cole.

"Is he…?" Cole nodded slowly before Ozpin could finish his question. The elderly Huntsman returned his gaze to the now frozen scene.

"Wait. What is Professor Ozpin on about?" Blake inquired with suspicion.

"Your headmaster just figured out the plot twist, Blake. Does an avid reader like yourself want to know beforehand?" Blake mumbled to herself unintelligibly over Cole's answer, watching as the fight broke out between Kessler and the Past Cole.

From the start, Kessler was fast, Blinking about the battlefield like he possessed Ruby's Semblance. Closing the gap, Kessler launched a vertical shockwave at Cole, dodged only barely. Cole fired back, missing every time as Kessler blinked back. Glowing orbs sprouted from Kessler as Cole charged, exploding on proximity and greatly harming the younger Conduit. Another blink was followed by the sound of charging energy, forcing the injured Cole to dodge roll tendrils of white electricity. Using the slight reprieves between attacks, Cole healed himself enough to counterattack as Kessler dropped to a knee. Megawatt Hammers pulverised the older Conduit, but he didn't flinch once, just stood up unfazed.

Seeing Cole's shock, Kessler taunted him. **"Your mother is ashamed of you. She lies, tells people you're a teacher. No-one respects a bike messenger."**

"Asshole." Exclaimed Yang, the sentiment shared between all the students.

Kessler then slammed a fist into the ground, creating rippling tremors which knocked Cole over. The same dance of dodge and retaliate repeated once more, but rather than continue on, Kessler propelled Cole through the air with electricity, laughing all the while. Rapid Blinks by Kessler brought the two men face to face, both fighting to grip the other's head.

" **You're not worming your way out this time, Kessler."** Stated the Past Cole, straining and grunting in his effort to overcome Kessler. Slowly the younger Conduit began to lose the struggle.

Kessler then taunted Cole again. **"You're weak, a failure. All of this has been for nothing."** Finishing his sentence, Kessler forced Cole onto his knees and drained him with his metallic hand. Victorious over Cole, Kessler stood perfectly still as bullet ripped towards him and supposedly through him.

" **Get your hands offa him!"** Shouted a welcome voice in the distance.

"Zeke!" Exclaimed the students happily, as Cole's best friend marched into the crater, gun raised.

" **Cole, make a run for it! I'll take care of this gas-bag!"** Zeke's bravado was short-lived as Kessler launched him out of the crater in one motion.

" **This doesn't concern you fat-man."** Retorted an angry Kessler.

" **AHH!"** Screamed Zeke as he flew.

Each student, and even Amber screamed after Zeke. "NOO!" The Real Cole simply raised a hand and smiled.

"Zeke was fine, that hit did some good for his ego." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief that Zeke was alright. Between Trish, John and the thousands who had died, Zeke would have pushed it all too far.

Given the time to recover, the Past Cole stood and drained the nearest destroyed cable line, healing and recharging. Chaos resumed as Kessler slammed his fist into the ground again, but alongside the tremor spawned ethereal clones of Kessler, towering over the two Conduits. These constructs of energy paced towards Cole menacingly, but were cut down with repeated bolts of lightning like paper.

" **This is nothing, Cole. What's coming is much, much worse."** As far as anyone could tell, Kessler wasn't lying. So if he wasn't lying, what was worse than what Cole had already faced? Questions were for later as Kessler only sped up, attacking faster and more brutally with every trade of damage he took. Cole gasped for air and acted on instinct as he weaved and leapt over every attack, the odd one injuring him, but not enough to take him out of the fight. Kessler slowly began to look damaged, resorting to summoning drones from electricity to fight alongside him.

"This old man doesn't fight cleanly does he?" Yang commented, irritated by Kessler's impersonal fighting style.

"Fighting cleanly doesn't get you anywhere in a death match Yang." Cole explained.

Ozpin countered Cole's explanation. "True. But fighting with honour is something we try to ingrain into our students, for tournament combat mostly." Explosions filled the air as the drones were decimated by Cole's lightning.

" **Your old man carried a picture of Trish in his wallet, telling people she was the daughter he never had. Did you know that? He couldn't wait for you to marry her."** Another personal taunt from Kessler drew the ire of everyone bar Ozpin and Cole, who knew better.

"Are you sure we can't break his legs somehow? Using family like that is a big nope in my books." Nora's tone was murderous, the question laced with hatred.

" **You rotten son-of-a-bitch."** Past Cole was infuriated, pummelling Kessler at every chance he got. After sustaining enough damage, Kessler lost his composure, launching Cole onto the podium in the crater.

" **You bastard."** Said Kessler with uncharacteristic anger. Another struggle ensued, but the weakened older man could not contend with Cole. Situations reversed as Cole now drained Kessler. Charged with power from Kessler, Cole uppercut the man off the podium. The students cheered as the energy enhanced fist connected. Following through, Past Cole rained down lightning on the ancient Conduit.

" **Die!"** Screamed Cole as the lightning made direct contact with Kessler. After a solid few seconds of lightning, Kessler lay at Cole's feet, dying. Once more the students celebrated, high-fiving and hugging all round, but Cole did not revel in his past victory. He was serious because of the words that Kessler whispered in defeat, blood leaking from his mouth.

" **Trish. I love you. Please forgive me."**

"What?!" Uttered every student, reeling back as Kessler dug his fingers into Past Cole's face. This time, everyone fell to their knees, images flickering through their minds. First a monster, a beast devoid of mercy and possessing incredible power. Then a family, the father sparking electricity from his hand. The man ran with his family, only to lose them tragically. In grief, he called upon his powers, warping into a bustling city. Empire City stood around him. Soon the man became the Kessler that everyone recognised, building the Ray Sphere and plotting the blast. Finally came the ultimate image, the remaining link, the wedding photo. Not Cole MacGrath's wedding, Kessler's wedding, to Trish.

Breaking free of the visions, everyone except Cole stumbled in the empty void, Empire City gone. Cole simply stood with his hands in his pockets, waiting. He didn't have to wait long.

"Impossible! You and Kessler are… are…" Weiss refused to believe the facts, so Cole finished the sentence for her.

"One and the same. Just like Alden said." Gawking expressions followed Cole as he paced between them all. "Time travel's a bitch huh."

"He moulded you into a weapon, in order to fix his own failures." Amber deduced sadly, looking unbelievingly at the blank-faced Cole.

"And I tried to do something similar, but messed up. So I took his name, to remind myself I had failed, just like he did." Cole turned his back on the others. "And I'll show you the rest of my failures, when you are ready." With his last words he vanished into nothing, leaving his mental guests to figure everything out themselves.

* * *

 **And there we have it, Empire City out of the way!**

 **I'm going away this week so I won't be posting. I will, however, be taking my laptop to write a huuuuuge New Marais chapter.**

 **See you all soon!**

 **Wardtortle, Out.**


	9. New Marais

**I'M BACK! Man oh man it's been a crazy week and a bit. *Grabs list* Let's see here, Brexit, RTX, RWBY Volume 4 hype, England being knocked out of the Euros by Iceland.**

 **Seriously though, I'm sorry this is a little late. Turns out writing a triple length chapter with actual less overall writing time is hard.**

 **So let's get back into routine with reviews!**

 **Bam yo done son: Cut Ozpin some slack, he had no idea what he was letting the students get into (Plus plot reasons). With regards to Amber, Ozpin has been keeping that secret for however long he has known. He isn't exactly going to spill that massive a secret and reveal the Ozluminati.**

 **Mr. X: I will try my best.**

 **Kyrogue: Oh no no no, Zeke's death is much harder to watch than Trish's. So much character development :(**

 **Dog: Read on, my friend. I always enjoy your support!**

 **Noob6: So did I, Zeke is my favourite character solely because he could pull his weight as a normal guy in a world of superpowers. When he came back in the DLC for Second Son I loved his interactions with Delsin.**

 **Ready? Get a drink and sit down, this is a long, long chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Cole's Mind – With the RWBY Crew:**

Minds were going to burst at the amount of information shown to them. Ozpin stood deep in thought, processing the revelations. Overall, the revelations were disturbing. Beings of power greater than even Maidens, completely free to make decisions for good or bad. Devices capable of destruction greater than any Grimm. These two factors made Ozpin grateful for the relative peace his world possessed, but his anxiety showed. Was it wise to keep showing his students such a horrifying reality? Ozpin was not alone in asking this question, as a voice broke him from his thoughts.

"Professor." Said Glynda in hushed tone, glancing over her shoulder to the students. "I believe we should not show any more of Mr MacGrath's past to the students. I have the feeling what we will see will only be worse than before. And Miss Rose…" Glynda looked round to the young leader of RWBY, who sat uncharacteristically quiet on the sidelines of the students' discussions.

"I share your concern Glynda, but I fear we've let them fall too far down the rabbit hole. Our best course is to ask them what they wish to do." Glynda let out an exasperated sigh, conceding to the Headmaster's logic. With the students, it had taken a good few minutes for the more cynical students to believe Cole was Kessler, Weiss had to be slapped back into sense. Yang had offered but was shot down quickly by Pyrrha, who gave a few gentle taps to the Heiress' cheek. Theories flew as the more vocal of the teenagers debated what they wished to see.

"All we can assume is that Cole tried to copy Kessler and messed up." Yang stated, gaining a few nods.

Nora chimed in with some sense for once. "What I want to know is why and how Cole went from hero to scary pale man."

Weiss waved off Nora's comment. "We'll find that out when Cole comes back. As much as I don't relish watching more tragedy, my curiosity is too great to leave it here."

"Can it really get any worse?" Said Jaune hesitantly. "I mean… the guy's lost the woman he loved, his faith in his best friend, and has to fight a monster even his other self couldn't beat."

"Cole is stronger than Kessler." Ren stated briefly.

"True… but only barely." Weiss argued back.

"We all saw how quickly Cole grew though." Pyrrha let her analytical side for combat speak. "In weeks he bested a man who had been practicing with his powers for decades. Yes he was old, but as far as we know he was in better shape than Alden." Silence let Pyrrha know her point had won her the argument. Brief quiet settled before Yang spoke up with her usual energy.

"All I know is the fight between Cole and the Beast must've been crazy awesome!"

"If the fight between the staff and Cole is anything to go by, it will be destructive." Blake

"Wait, wait. Ozpin and the Professors fought Cole?" Yang interrupted in both surprise and excitement.

"Oh it was awesome!" Squealed Nora with renewed energy. "First Ozpin accidentally angered Cole, so he chucked loads of electricity at him! Ooh, ooh, and then he made arm blades of electricity and fought Ozpin while the staff fired at him. Ozpin kicked his ass!" Yang listened with an entertained grin.

"Ozpin attacked faster than Ruby can run." Ren butted in to add excitement, which made Nora angry. Nora pushed her face in front of Ren's and growled.

"I'm telling the story!" Ren didn't even blink as Nora booped him on the nose then went back to her bubbly storytelling.

"The best part was when Cole did that lightning strike thingy. And the Headmaster blocked it all!" Yang reeled back in awe.

"What?! I know Ozpin is a veteran but… damn."

"You're forgetting the best part, Nora." Prompted Ren.

" **Karmic Overload.** " Every student jumped away from the sudden echoing voice. Behind them had appeared the man in the red suit, hands in pockets and his red eyes surveying the inhabitants of Cole's new world. " **Cole's ability to sacrifice some of his power and karma for a temporary source of unlimited electricity.** "

"Wait… I recognise you!" Blake spoke up, her amber eyes widening. "You're John White!"

" **Not exactly hard to tell, but yes.** "

"Not possible!" Screeched Weiss. "We saw you get vaporised by the Ray Sphere!"

" **Cole warps reality and you disbelieve me surviving?** " John said condescendingly. Weiss simply bowed her head, muttering unintelligible insults.

The commotion had attracted the staff. Ozpin addressing the arrival. "So if you survived, Mr White. What exactly are you?"

" **A fraction of myself. It is not my place to explain who and what I am. But I believe Cole told you I was a Conduit equal in power to him.** "

"Hold on. Was a Conduit?" Cut in Jaune.

" **Correct, technically, I am dead.** " John removed his hands from his pockets and placed them behind his back, strolling between the staff and students.

Straining to believe the Conduit, Weiss asked the important question. "So how and why are you here?"

John looked up into nothing, answering Weiss' question. " **One: part of my power resides in Cole, so I linger as a mental entity. I'm simply too powerful to die completely. Two: To encourage you on, or more specifically, Ruby.** "

"Why me?" Finally spoke up the quiet leader.

" **Because while all of your friends have moved on, accepting the tragedy of Cole's past, you remain fixated on it.** " John knelt on one knee in front of Ruby, silver eyes meeting crimson. " **So now I ask, why?** "

"I… uh." Ruby bowed her head. "I don't know."

John smiled warmly, placing a hand on Ruby's head. " **Then do not worry, none of what Cole has suffered should harm you. Instead find strength within yourself to press on. There is strength even we Conduits don't have, in a small, honest soul.** " Ruby looked up and smiled slightly, prompting John to stand tall and float above the rest. In a small, fiery evaporation, John vanished.

" **Cole is ready, you will all see me very, very soon.** " John's voice echoed, fading out as Cole appeared in a strike of lightning. With a small smile, Cole spoke.

"Sorry I took a while. Ready for the rest?" Everyone nodded, secretly curious as to where Cole had been.

* * *

 **Cole's Mind – With Cole:**

Running the visions gave Cole headaches similar to being in powered down zones. Retreating into the recesses of his own mind to recharge his strength gave Cole some reprieve from the constant questions. The idea to share his past through visions had been a good one at first, but dragging in thirteen people really strained Cole. Though he deserved it, karma is a bitch after all. Effectively lying down in the endless void with his hands behind his head, Cole recounted the reactions of his students and peers. The fact that Cole even had students to teach and peers still felt weird, but he couldn't help chuckling when he remembered how his mother had lied about him being a teacher.

"I guess it's no longer a lie." Said Cole to himself, letting out a deep, relaxed sigh. Peace and quiet, how long had it been since he had such an experience? Closest he could remember was the movie night he had with Zeke in New Marais. Just him and a brother, relaxing with some brews and a TV. Maybe he needed to have another one sometime. It wouldn't be the same without Zeke, or the movies of his world for that matter. Everything Cole knew was gone, the only tethers to his past were memories or what he dragged with him. Disappointed and slightly down in mood, Cole rolled over and pushed up onto his feet, even though he could've just floated upright. Before he could return though, Cole's thoughts subconsciously melded the void around him into that movie night.

Beside him sat Zeke, beer in hand and his face illuminated by the TV. A buzzing of Cole's phone interrupted them, Cole ignored it and declined the call. Just like before, Zeke nodded and returned to the movie, only for his own phone to go off. With a grin, Cole shook his head at Zeke, leaning back into the couch to continue watching. Calm washed over Cole, making him feel almost at home. Briefly his thoughts drifted to the others, no doubt waiting for him to return.

' _Eh, they can wait a little longer._ ' Thought Cole as both men laughed at a certain scene in the movie.

* * *

 **Cole's Mind – Empire City:**

Cole strode along a pier in Empire City, his companions in tow as he bridged the gap between the time displayed and what they last saw.

"During the time between Kessler's death and what you see now, I was hounded by Moya and a test subject of Kessler's called David. Won't give you all the details but he thought I was Kessler and damn nearly killed me. And you've seen what I can walk away from."

"Jeez. How'd you survive?" Yang asked.

"Moya needed me alive, buried David alive in a sewer and captured me not long after using Sasha's mind control tar in gas form." Cole answered, continuing towards the end of the pier, where a large ship waited. "Funnily enough, Sasha's sick obsession meant she helped me escape. Alden had been captured too… he wasn't so lucky."

"So you escaped and stopped Moya?" Amber asked plainly.

"Nah, never that simple. In my escape I ran into David, the guy pulverised me until Moya's military Conduits stepped in. Gave me time to recover and eventually kill David, the poor guy deserved better, but he was a dead man no matter what happened."

"All fun and games with you isn't it." Quipped Yang sarcastically, causing Cole to smirk.

"Yeah… Moya got what she deserved though, ended up drowning in her own research ship as it sank. Which leads to now." Cole waved his hand at the scene before them. Past Cole was leaning on the railing of the ship at the end of the pier, Zeke approaching the railing.

" **Man I tell you Cole, that Agent Kuo? She doesn't mess around, huh. First boat outta town? Chick's got some connections."**

"Agent Kuo?" Glynda asked.

"Lucy Kuo, government agent who had a contact who worked on the Ray Sphere. Offered to help power me up to fight the Beast." Answered Cole plainly, returning to the memory.

" **This is gonna be a short term visit, man. We're just gonna get in. I'm gonna get some new powers, and then we're gonna come right back."** Explained the Past Cole plainly.

" **Come on, man! You deserve to relax! We're going to New Marais!"** Complained Zeke to Cole.

" **Hey, I need to be back here and ready when it shows up, Zeke."** The argument made the students uncomfortable. Obviously there had still been tension between the two.

"He was right you know. You do seem kinda… tense." Jaune stated, receiving no acknowledgment from the Real Cole.

" **Trust me, Cole, you will be ready when you're done working with Doctor Wolfe."** The new female voice was calm, professional, matching the smartly dressed walking up to the two men.

"Kuo." Introduced the Real Cole before anyone could ask.

" **Work? Ha! Easy, Kuo. When we get there, we're gonna be about the 'Three Bs.'"** The Real Cole grinned widely as he recited Zeke's priorities.

"That's beer… boobs… and mechanical bulls." None of the girls were impressed, Weiss, Glynda and Amber scowling at both Zeke and the Real Cole. Port laughed heartily until the glares were turned on him, the pompous man turning instantly silent produced a few chuckles and giggles.

" **Mm hmm. Gentleman. I don't think that you understand the scope of what is going on here."** Before Kuo could lecture the two men further, a strange roar sounded from the heart of Empire City, followed by explosions.

"What is going on?" Asked Amber as Kuo asked the Past Cole the same question. Screams could be heard as people fled for the pier, the sky turning red. Everyone was in a panic at the sudden commotion.

" **No! No. No…"** The Past Cole leapt from the boat to the pier, running off to the city. Another boat sank as flaming debris punctured it.

"OK! What is going on?!" Amber asked again, Cole pointing to a towering man of lava and rock in the city centre.

"The Beast." Everyone bolted down the pier to watch the ensuing fight, arriving as the Beast ripped part of the pier away

"You said we were only hallway through your past, and you're fighting it now?" Pyrrha noted with shock as the Past Cole sudden rose into the air like there was no gravity. Bolts of electricity impacted like missiles, hitting the Beast hard but seemingly making no dent in the monster. The Beast launched fire and tried to suck Cole into its grasp as the Electric Conduit barraged it with continuous bolts. None of the comments anyone made could be heard over the deafening battle before them, culminating in Cole calling down lightning. Said lightning obliterated half the face of the Beast, it sinking into the water is supposed defeat.

"YEAH!" Cheered the students as the Beast sank. The Real Cole floated everyone onto the boat as his past self dashed hectically for the boat.

"To answer Pyrrha's point earlier, I didn't win." Cole pointed as the Beast rose from the water, dragging the Past Cole into its grasp.

"What?!" This lava guy just got struck by lightning, lost half his face, and was submerged in water, and is still going?!" Nora screamed with a mix of surprise and awe. Nora's protests went unanswered as Past Cole struck the Beast with more lightning, but something was amiss. As the Beast had its head blown off by the lightning, Past Cole struggled in agony in its grip, falling into the water once the Beast let go. He floated unconscious in the water as both Zeke and Kuo carefully retrieved him from the water. Scenes faded in and out showing Cole's recovery as the Real Cole explained his situation with a hint of anger at himself.

"The Beast was capable of amplifying and draining powers of Conduits, and he pretty much emptied me. I was strong, I was ready. I had fought it with everything I had! It wasn't enough. The cost, my powers, and the destruction of Empire City." A TV screen displayed the Beast in its full form, just before it wiped Empire City from existence.

Amber consoled Cole. "No-one can blame you because no-one else could've been capable of fighting that thing."

"I know I was." Cole muttered in agreement. "And that was why I changed then and there. To beat the Beast I needed to be stronger, and I wanted nothing to delay me or get in my way." Cole's journey down the coast of the US to New Marais flickered in front of the group's eyes. Most prominent of the images was the development of a familiar metallic device. Ultimately, time resumed to normal as the small boat Kuo had requisitioned stopped in the swamp before New Marais.

"Why'd you stop in the swamp?" Ruby asked.

"New Marais was now run by a militia. A militia that had an artillery blockade stopping ships coming in." Cole explained, pointing out mortar positions amongst the fog.

"What? Why?" Asked the red-cloaked girl.

"Militia had complete control of New Marais, with the rise of Conduits, law was harsh and they didn't want the government coming in." Cole stood at the edge of the boat as his past self got ready to introduce himself to the militia.

" **Wait up, man!"** Called out Zeke, running out with the Amp in his hands. **"Here she is."**

Past Cole chuckled as he stepped up to Zeke. **"And you sure it's ready?"**

" **Uh… I hope so. Give her a try."** The Amp worked perfectly, Past Cole giving it a few heavy two-handed swings.

"Not bad for a couple of college dropouts, wouldn't you say?" The Real Cole boasted with pride for Zeke's accomplishment.

"Pfft. It's nothing compared to Magnhild!" Retorted Nora with her bubbly personality.

"Oh yeah? I'd like to see you make your hammer out of scrap in a few days." Looking at Zeke and his crowning technical achievement, the Real Cole smiled sadly at his oldest friend. "Zeke may have been a fat, perverted college dropout. But I'll never have a friend… no, a brother as brilliant as him." The mood dropped as Cole's expression turned sombre.

Ozpin tapped his cane on the deck of the boat. "Perhaps it is best we move on."

Cole nodded. "Sure. But beyond this point I change, and none of you are gonna like it."

Beyond a drawbridge was a large motor linked to a village. Cole's only way across was to lower the bridge by charging the motor. But as the Past Cole charged the motor, he kept going overloading the motor and causing massive explosions throughout the makeshift village. Everyone bar Cole looked on in horror as the village burned, militia and civilians alike dying in the process. Then in an elongated strike of thunder and lightning, Past Cole began to change. Skin paled and clothes darkened, the Amp rusting. Without even batting an eye, he continued on, marching through his fiery handiwork.

Cole could feel the glares and looks of disgust directed at him. "You want my reasoning? Watch." Time skipped to Kuo and confronting Cole about the massacre.

" **You know what, Cole, you have so much power. Next time, use it wisely, and do me a favour, don't forget what it's like to be human."** The Past Cole snapped at Kuo's last comment, striding so he spoke face to face with the government agent.

" **But I'm** _ **not**_ **… human… am I? Not anymore."** Sneering at Kuo, Cole continued before stepping past her into New Marais. **"Hoh, you don't understand what it's like, but you're right: I do have powers, and I'll use them."**

"How could you be so heartless? Claiming you were no longer human to justify your actions." Blake verbally attacked the Real Cole, provoking him into making a terrible choice of response.

"Don't criticise my choice to separate myself from what I am, when you hide from what you are." Blake flinched in shock, unable to utter coherent words as everyone except Ozpin stared at her in confusion. Seeing the panicked expression on Blake's face, Cole made to defuse the situation. "Sorry… I just… at the time I lost almost everything. How do you walk away from that without changing?"

Ozpin stepped in before any further comments were made. "Mr MacGrath, though I see your point, we are here to discuss your past, not the students'. Please… continue."

* * *

Now stood atop a roof. Past Cole was helping up a greying man, who quickly commented on Cole's likeness to Kessler. After a brief introduction, the man, Dr. Sebastian Wolfe, handed Cole a spherical device with two handles. What everyone noticed instantly was its similarity to the Ray Sphere. Ruby had stepped close to inspect the device alongside Dr. Oobleck, both extremely fascinated by it.

Instead of letting Dr. Wolfe explain, the Real Cole did. "The Ray Field Inhibitor, or RFI. In simple terms, the anti-Ray Sphere. The plan was to use this to drain and kill the Beast. But first I needed to absorb some Blast Cores." Cole indicated to the glowing chunk of earth his past counterpart presented to the doctor.

"Never simple." Deadpanned Ren.

"Never simple." Repeated Cole. "Might want to step back a sec, got a little light show coming up." Past Cole passed a current through the Blast Core, causing it to violently shatter and rise Cole up into the air. Electricity sparked from all four appendages before Cole collapsed unconscious on the ground, smoking.

"What the hell did you do?" Amber asked harshly as everything faded black.

"Made a big mistake to regain one of my powers. I got stronger but… the Militia got Wolfe." Next everyone stood amongst a crowd cheering supporters, praising an old man who brandished a decorative sword. "Joseph Bertrand, leader of the Militia. This is the guy you saw, Weiss."

" **My friends, tonight we face the gravest threat this fair city has ever seen. The devil walks among us…"** Amongst the crowd stood Zeke, half-heartedly cheering along to fit in. **"Cole MacGrath, the Electric Man, is here in New Marais."**

"Guess you're famous." Commented Ruby.

"Heh, more like infamous." Replied the Real Cole, then his expression went sour. "But seriously, Bertrand was a pain and a threat. A charismatic leader, but a hypocritical one."

"You cannot doubt he is a great public speaker." Glynda noted with her attention almost entirely on the speech.

" **And as God is my witness, we shall hunt them down, and destroy them all!"** Cheers turned to screams as a horrific humanoid creature roared from the scaffolding above the stage. Its body was pale, but its arms and bladed legs were black like Sasha's tar. Additionally, its mouth had mandibles, making it a monstrous site.

"My word, what is that? Equally fascinating and disturbing in my opinion." Doctor Oobleck moved so fast no-one noticed how he got beside the monster.

"The Corrupted, the 'freaks' alongside Conduits." Cole explained. "But the focus isn't them right now, it's Bertrand." Reality cut to Cole atop Bertrand's limo, threatening the Militia leader. Everyone was floating at a similar speed to the limo. Bertrand simply laughed at Cole's threats.

" **Oh ho… wait, wait… if I were you. I'd be more worried about my head."** All eyes turned round to the strange repeating chopping noise, which was quickly accompanied by the thud of metal connecting to Past Cole's skull. A collections of ouches and jeez echoed from the students as Past Cole sailed through the air onto the concrete. Hovering low in the air above him was a helicopter, armed with Gatling guns and missiles.

"Bertrand clotheslined you with an airship?" Yang asked pointlessly. "Low blow, man."

Cole shrugged like it was nothing, watching his past self run down the street with missiles raining behind him. "Would've taken any normal man's head clean off. Luckily being a Conduit makes me as tough as any Aura user."

"But you feel the full force of an attack, unlike Aura which dampens the damage." Amber's inner teacher spoke out, lecturing the difference. This peaked every student's interest.

"So what would happen if your Aura was unlocked?" Ren asked.

"Don't know, don't want to know." Replied Cole briefly with a dismissive tone.

"What?! Why?! You could be indestructible!" Yang complained.

"I've already had someone use Aura to try and heal my wounds. The effects were… conflicting." Eyebrows rose, while Amber opened and closed a fist uncomfortably.

"Conflicting?" Pyrrha asked with concern.

"Aura and the Conduit powers are similar in principle. Manifestations of one's inner being, soul or genetic coding. What do you think would happen if the two inhabited one host?" Amber again became the lecturer, explaining where Cole could not. All the while, Past Cole was still battling the helicopter.

"They'd reject each other, and fight over the host, which could…" Blake began, a similar situation from a book she read.

"Kill the host." Cole finished, watching the helicopter exploded in a large ball of fire. "We're getting off track here, this next bit is important." Reality shifted to a random road in New Marais, a pickup truck speeding to escape its pursuers. Inside drove Kuo, Dr. Wolfe visibly worse off than first seen. Riding in the back was Past Cole, electrocuting Militia and destroying their vehicles. Cole's defence of the truck impressed those watching, but his choice to kill all approaching Militia did not. No-one was prepared for the massive truck that collided with Cole's, launching the Conduit off the back and into the ground with a sickening crunch.

"We'd found Wolfe, but Bertrand wasn't going to let us go easy." Cole narrated as the Militia arrived and hauled and unconscious Kuo away. "Wolfe died on impact, I felt like I had too." Past Cole dragged himself into the nearby storm drain, fading in unconsciousness through pain. The vision matched Cole's state, vanishing into nothing. Not one comment was made, everyone bowing their heads for Wolfe.

* * *

" **Cheer up man. Things have been a crap ton worse for us than this. We always get by."** Zeke and Cole stood atop a high building, the former holding a pair of binoculars. Behind them watched the Beacon group, still a little shaken by the sudden shift in Past Cole's momentum. Cole's appearance had worsened too, his shirt now red, black and tattered. Additionally his complexion had gotten paler, with more unnerving tattoos on his arms. Soon the man would

" **Come on, we still got the RFI."** Zeke kept up his optimism even when Cole shut down his points.

"Imagine how many Grimm you'd be attracting with that negativity." Quipped Yang, trying to lighten the mood. The Blonde Brawler only got three punches to her arms in reply.

" **That things a paperweight without Blast Cores. How are we going to find them?"** Past Cole asked with a defeated attitude.

" **Well, I don't know, yet, but I'm…"** Zeke looked through his binoculars once more. **"… I'm working on it."** Both Coles snorted and smirked with amusement, making the exact same quip.

"What's with the binoculars, Zeke? Spying on some chick in the shower?" Glares were wielded at the Real Cole, making him grin some more as Zeke proved himself.

" **Not this time. I think I found Kuo."** Those who weren't glaring smiled with approval, Ruby beaming at Zeke.

"Mr Dunbar really pulled himself together since Empire City." Ozpin noted with approval, making Cole smiled widely.

"Yeah, wouldn't have made it this far without him."

" **Heard some gal escaped the lynch mob, took off through the swamp."** Zeke explained to the Past Cole, indirectly allowing the real one to move time ahead just a few minutes. The newest memory was eerie carnage. Bodies of Militia littered the swamp, fog limiting the vision of everyone inside. Past Cole walked through on edge, seeing a figure kneeling over a dead Militia soldier. Instantly the figure vanished in a puff of smoke, repeating the action around Cole to confuse him.

"Another Conduit?" Oobleck said, half stating and half asking.

The Real Cole nodded, "Yup, but not Kuo." Immediately the teleporting girl launched from her smoke, tackling the Past Cole down and aiming to finish him with a fiery fist. As soon as both Conduits swung at each other, the now revealed dark skinned woman backed off with her hands outstretched in slight apology. In one she held a Blast Core. Her clothing was incredibly revealing, an open, brown leather, crop cut jacket with a neck cover. Torn brown leggings covered down to her black and red shin-high boots. To top off her look, black and red dreadlocks and silver metal claws the fingers of one hand. The Real Cole introduced her. "Meet Nix."

"She gives off an uncomfortable vibe." Ruby shared her opinion. "Not creepy like Sasha but… strange."

"Second that, Rubes." Agreed Yang.

"She was an outcast, a troublemaker. Not a bad person at heart just… wanted to be noticed… be important." A few people felt like that description would come into play later. Nix then teleported in a puff of smoke again, running off to cause mayhem with the Past Cole in tow. This time they weren't followed, Cole cutting to a large plantation, the front door caved in and burning, a tram wrecked and smouldering in the door. "Zeke joined the Militia to spy for us, didn't trust him at first but it paid off."

"How so?" Port asked.

"He found Kuo for us." Cole answered, striding to the garage door at the side of the plantation. "Turns out she was locked up with the real bad 'deviants' of New Marais, but the truth was worse." Waiting for his past self to break the lock on the garage door, Cole turned to his companions. "This isn't a pretty sight, you can wait here if you want… and I won't be long." Cole's gaze was focused on the students, mostly Ruby who shifted uncomfortably before deciding to wait. Jaune and Yang waited as well, for differing reasons. Everyone else stepped onto the elevator as it began to descend, entering the cold dark below.

* * *

It is said that time flies when you are having fun, but none of those left up top were having fun. All the death, terror and inhumanity weighed heavily on the three students. Yang had noticed Ruby's withdrawing personality, attempting to lighten the mood throughout the mental journey. Ruby's exposure had not affected her because of her age, but her view of the world and the people who inhabited it. The little reaper knew the world possessed bad people, Roman Torchwick being her prime example, but no books or stories could've prepared her for the horror of Cole's reality. Kessler, Sasha, Alden were bad enough to begin with, but the Beast and Bertrand just soured her mood further. Instinct forced Yang to speak up, Jaune sat aside waiting patiently in thought.

"Rubes? How are you coping with all this?" Yang and Blake together were queens of pointless questions, but at least it broke the ice.

"It's unfair. Why does someone have to go through all this?" Of course, Ruby's thoughts were for the wellbeing of others, not herself. It is a quality that brought out pride in Ruby's family, and Yang couldn't help but smile.

"The world isn't exactly sunshine and rainbows, but we deal with what we get. I guess Cole just drew the shortest straw out of all of us."

"Yang's right." Chipped in Jaune from afar. "The world is harsh, but that is why we decided to become Huntsmen, right? To give people shelter from harm and live fulfilling lives. You also remember what John told you, right?"

"Damn straight, Vomit Boy." Yang agreed with a wide grin. Jaune didn't bother to complain, smiling back at the sisters. "So whadda ya say Rubes? You gonna cheer up and smile for us, or do I have to bribe you?"

Ruby smirked. "What are you offering, dear sister?"

"A box of cookies, maybe two~."

Ruby laughed, her youthful energy returned. "You've always been a bad influence. If you'd offered anything else I would've just said there was no need. But now…" Ruby smiled innocently with childish evil hidden behind it, raising her first two fingers on a hand. "… I'll hold you to it. Two boxes."

Yang huffed, defeated by her little sister, but still happy. "I guess that's how the cookie crumbles." Joint groans came from Jaune and Ruby, making Yang laugh. Soon the three were all laughing, forgetting easily where they were. Then the garage door groaned open.

* * *

Freezing air was common in winter for the inhabitants of Remnant. Most could shrug off the sharp sensation with varying levels of clothing. But the air down below the garage could not be ignored. Teeth chattered and arms were rubbed as the elevator descend into a strange, blue lit facility. Naturally Cole ignored the effects of the cold just like he had the first time he found Kuo. In order to distract the students and faculty from the bitter air, Cole began to narrate the scene before them.

"As you can tell, the air was cold, getting colder the deeper I went. Kuo wasn't hard to spot, just… hard to look at." Gasps of horror were accompanied by hands covering mouths, everyone's eyes trained on a single figure suspended in the air above everything. Lucy Kuo was pale, weak-looking. Bertrand had hooked her up to a weird machine that fed into the icy containers layering the massive facility. On her head sat a strange helmet, but her hands drew the most attention, glowing with pulsing blue veins.

"I-I don't want to look… but I can't turn away." Pyrrha spoke from behind her hand. "What did Bertrand do to her?"

"Bled her dry, then pumped her up again. All to create an army." Cole opened his arms dramatically into the air, gesturing to the thousands of frozen pods. "What better way to make people see the threat of Conduits, than to make an army for the highest bidder."

"An army of artificial Conduits?" Ren deduced.

"Yep. Didn't really work out once I sent twenty thousand volts through the system to free Kuo." As the Real Cole spoke, the Past Cole freed Kuo with bolts of electricity, catching the weak woman as she fell.

"How is this even working? Ms Kuo is normal, right?" Glynda asked with slight suspicion of the truth.

"Wrong. Both Kuo and her NSA contact in Empire City were latent Conduits." Cole corrected.

"NSA contact in Empire City? You mean John White." Ozpin elaborated for the others.

"Yeah. Allowed them to infiltrate the First Sons, you know how things played out from there." Cole's expression was blank, almost bored as he briefly explained the pasts of the two NSA agents, but more was hidden underneath that face. Pacing to the elevator with Kuo, the Past Cole rose to the surface while the pods around the facility hissed open. The men that stepped out gave those present chills in more ways than one. Covered from head to toe in flexible armour and breathing apparatus, the army of artificial Conduits climbed to the surface with unknown motives.

The garage door rattled open, revealing a slightly haunted group of students and staff, following the Past Cole, who helped Kuo walk with one of her arms over his shoulder. The trio left behind were shocked at Kuo's tortured appearance. Doubling the shock was the sudden appearance of multiple Ice Conduits, all launching themselves away from the plantation using pillars of ice.

"What the hell happened down there?" Yang asked, the plantation area becoming a battlefield once more.

"Ask your friends, we need to move on, I can feel myself losing power now." Cole replied quickly, waving time to skip to a massive fort, bodies of Militia and another force littering the courtyards and walls. While the battle raged, Blake gave a brief but detailed description of what was below the plantation

"Things just escalated real quick! Like how quick Ren makes pancakes!" Commented Nora, of course flipping a grisly situation on its head.

"New Marais had another faction, the Rebels. Men and women fighting against Bertrand." Cole was narrating as Past Cole hopped onto a strange device containing a Blast Core. "Nix and I tricked them into storming Fort Phillipe, to recover the Transfer Device Bertrand used to give the Ice Soldiers: Vermaak 88, Kuo's powers." Kuo and Nix began arguing between each other over the device, Past Cole deciding to use it with Nix, giving her a slap on the ass. This made Kuo distraught, the ex-government agent storming off.

"I have the strongest feeling you are about to do something stupid, Mr MacGrath." Scolded Glynda, Cole just smirked.

"Already did. Nix and I decided to swap powers. Of course, never simple." The Transfer Device kicked into life, seemingly tearing the very life from Nix into Cole, but neither were truly injured. Cringes and averted gazes were shared as Pale Cole rolled off the device, smoking but also sparking.

" **Somebody shoot that chopper, it's coming for Bertrand! Bastard was hiding out in the south wing!"** LaRoche, Leader of the Rebels ordered, with Past Cole complying with an accurate grenade. On impact the helicopter was on fire, quickly flying off across the city and crashing. Past Cole, upon throwing the grenade, had collapsed into a smoking heap, unconscious.

"A fine shot Mr MacGrath! Impressive marksmanship given your condition." Port praised with his eccentric tone.

"How come we've never seen you use Nix's powers?" Pyrrha asked with increasing suspicion.

Cole ignored her grinning evilly as he remembered what came next. A brief cut in time brought the group to the smoking wreckage of Bertrand's helicopter, Past Cole hounding the Militia leader.

" **Hey, old man, you breathing in here?"** The Past Cole taunted as he looked around the downed helicopter.

"No-one could survive a crash like that without Aura or…" Amber trailed off as she realised the truth. One by one the truth clicked in everyone's brains, leaving eyes of hatred and shock.

"You get it now? The so-called human purist, Bertrand, was a Conduit. Used another Ray Sphere, which also made Nix powerful."

"So what could Bertrand do?"

"Become that." Cole pointed to a gigantic monster, which Ren and Nora recognised instantly from the early vision. It stood at about fifty feet tall, walking on four legs but possessing two more bladed arms next to its foldable chest. On its back was the black carapace that all Corrupted had, covering all the way to its mandible mouth. Rampaging down the street, the monster Bertrand spewed foul smelling gas and devoured people with tendrils spewing from its chest.

"Eugh that is… that is vile." Weiss commented while pinching her nose. Past Cole sprang into action, blasting at the exposed, glowing joints of Bertrand's monstrous form. Nora saw this and giggled.

"It's like a video game boss fight! Shoot the weak points!" Ren facepalmed as Nora stood dramatically atop a car, pointing at the giant monster. Everyone laughed in some manner, Glynda stifling a giggle, and Ozpin smiling broadly.

"I'm assuming you won." Ren said through his hand.

Cole nodded. "Yeah, but Bertrand got away. So I still had four problems to deal with."

"Four? The Beast, Bertrand and the Conduits we know. Which leaves…" Oobleck listed.

"One I haven't mentioned: The Plague." Cole finished.

"The Plague? Since when was there a plague?" Ruby asked, completely lost.

Cole explained the plague as his past self approached a large truck driven by Zeke. "Turns out using the Ray Sphere created a plague which began to spread rapidly. Active Conduits were immune and there was no cure."

"Meaning that humanity on your world was dying, and Conduits were the evolutionary successors." Ozpin deduced.

"Yeah, though the RFI potentially could've cured the plague but… we'll get to that later." Cole's guilty demeanour did not go unnoticed, but went entirely ignored as Zeke leaned out of the truck he was driving. "Most pressing at the time was the fact that the Beast was almost at New Marais." In the distance, explosions littered the sky around the towering form of the Beast. Zeke then spoke up.

" **Hey, pretty boy! Feel like going for a joyride? Sharing in the benefits of me spying on the Militia?"** Eyebrows rose at why Zeke was so flippant, given the presence of the Beast.

Past Cole wasn't amused. **"Come on, man. The Beast is almost here, we don't have time for this."**

" **Oh ho, that's where you're wrong, my friend! I have found us a sure fire way to take down the Beast. Make yourself useful, take off those panels back there. You'll see."** Eyebrows rose higher. How could a normal man like Zeke, find a way to kill the Beast when Cole couldn't? Past Cole stripped off the panels with a blast of electricity, revealing a huge rocket beneath.

" **Jesus, Zeke, is that a nuke?"** Ruby gawked at the rocket, but no-one else saw how such a medium sized missile could take down the Beast.

" _Please_ explain how that…" Weiss asked, unimpressed. "… Is going to kill the Beast."

"Nukes, or nuclear bombs were humanity's deadliest creations in my world. I mean, when one of the guys who made the first few saw its test he thought: 'I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.'" Cole was completely serious, which brought chills down everyone's spines. "Could wipe Vale off the face of Remnant in an instant."

"O-ok, I-I believe you now." Weiss stammered in complete terror. Ruby heard the details but ignored it, knowing her world had no such weapons. Atop a large crane at a dock, everyone watched the missile impact with the Beast, creating a blinding flash of fiery light. As sights were restored, all that remained was a singular, haunting mushroom cloud on the horizon. New Marais was coated in a dust storm from the shockwave of the explosion, Past Cole leaping from high off the crane to free Zeke from being trapped under debris. Cole aided Zeke towards his truck lifting a large light out of the way. Then the cranes began to cave in on a fiery portal forming.

"Zeke was wrong anyway. The Beast just reformed." No-one could tear away from the portal as is grew larger and larger, more brilliant every second. Past Cole and Zeke fled, only to crash as the Beast emerged. But with Cole's unconscious state came darkness, and a new memory.

* * *

Metal bars surrounded the group, Past Cole being shut in every way he turned.

" **Mr MacGrath! How do you like my new security system?"** The group turned angrily to the speaker, Bertrand. Striding in with two Militia guards on his flank, he continued. **"There's no way out. It's nothing special, but it'll stop your lightning."**

"How the hell do flimsy metal bars stop you?" Yang asked with anger and disappointment.

"I'm not as physically strong as you Yang, so tearing my way out was a no go. As for my lightning, the metal would just conduct the electricity." Yang stepped back scratching her head, sheepish for not realising how simple but effective the trap was. Not that anyone could blame her, Yang could punch through concrete if mad enough.

Past Cole moved to the bars of his cage, gripping them tightly as he gave an ultimatum to Bertrand. **"Listen to me, Bertrand. You want me to save your city? You want me to kill the Beast? Get me out of here, and stay the hell out of my way!"**

" **I wish I had the same faith in your abilities, but…"** Bertrand leaned in closer, with a hateful stare. **"… If you're not with me… well, you're against me."** Stepping back, the Militia's leader gave the order to open fire, bullets flying into the cage. Past Cole ducked for cover, as did the students. Seeing the bullets whiz through the adults with no damage, the students stood up sheepishly, gaining only an amused smirk from the Real Cole. Gunfire continued for minutes, Past Cole rolling and ducking with only his Polarity Wall as a shield. Then came Zeke to the rescue, raising a few cheers from the students as Past Cole was freed from the cage.

" **You okay?"** Asked a concerned Zeke, Past Cole sitting on a crate breathing heavily.

Recovering slowly, Past Cole apologised. **"Hey, uh, Zeke… I've been treating you like shit. I'm… I'm sorry, man."**

"That was a loooong time coming." Remarked Ruby with a smile.

Zeke dismissed the apology. **"Screwed you over pretty hard back in Empire. Forget it, man."**

Glynda smiled slightly at Zeke's attitude. "I have to admit, Mr Dunbar really has proved himself, despite my earlier… reservations about him."

" **No, you've always got my back. Thank you."** Past Cole stepped up to look at Zeke, a genuine grateful look on his face.

" **Look, I don't call you 'brother' because I like the way it sounds."** Zeke admitted, then running off to avoid being spotted by the Militia.

"Despite all you've done, he still treated you as a man, a brother." Amber noted, watching for the Real Cole's reaction. He only smiled as he watched his friend jog away. Then the scene faded, flickering past another Blast Core being found. Zeke and Cole also flashed past on a couch, relaxing, watching a movies with beers to drink. The Real Cole grinned widely as the memory briefly flickered into reality, a few of his companions seeing the warmth in his normally blank, grey eyes.

"One more Blast Core needed." Drawled Cole, watching as he fought Forced Conduits on an industrial ship. "Then came the real kicker." Time slowed to normal pace, Past Cole disabling the boat, cutting off Bertrand's way of selling Conduits. As the boat tilted, a fiery burst temporarily made everyone shield their eyes. Before them had appeared John White, red eyes and red suit. The only person surprised at his appearance was Past Cole.

" **What the hell?"** Past Cole exclaimed in disbelief.

" **It's good to see you, MacGrath."** Greeted John.

" **John, you're dead."** Past Cole stated strongly.

" **You're right, I was. For a while. I can still feel it… the Ray Sphere exploding, tearing me apart atom by atom."** John explained, Past Cole walking round him to figure out what John was. **"Yet somehow, part of me lingered on. I had to pull myself back together. Do you have any idea how hard that is?"**

"My word. He claims to have regenerated from nothing! That's… that's astonishing!" Oobleck was copying Past Cole, studying the new form of John White closely.

" **It sounds tricky. You're not a ghost. You must be some sort of Conduit. Why are you here?"**

"You told me that John was a Conduit on your level." Ozpin directed at the Real Cole. "Is he who I believe him to be?"

"Nothing gets past you does it, Oz?" Everyone else looked on confused at the two men confused, only Amber having any idea of what they were referring to.

" **I want to show you something."** John touched two fingers to Past Cole's forehead, allowing him to see the plague. Time cut to a large medical tent, Past Cole stood above a girl.

"The plague was spreading badly, and the only ones immune from it were Conduits." The Real Cole explained.

" **Heal her… if you can."** John spoke to Cole in an echoing mental voice.

" **John, you know why I don't use that ability anymore."** Past Cole snapped at John, the fiery Conduit appearing next to him.

" **Then let me show you. I have the power to save her. To activate all our kind, but not without cost."** John stepped forward, fiery energy swirling around him and flowing from his crimson eyes.

Blake realised what John was saying. "He's become like a Ray Sphere!" She shouted.

The Real Cole nodded then looked to John. "More than that."

" **The Beast!"** Shouted Past Cole as everything went black in a large explosion.

In the void, very few could believe what had just happened. John White, the Beast, had just killed every person in that tent, to save one Conduit.

"Things got complicated from here. John had a plan that would guarantee the survival of some of humanity. The catch, those who weren't Conduits would die, and I'm talking billions of people." Cole explained neutrally.

"That's genocide!" Screamed Pyrrha.

"Bertrand was doing the opposite!" Cole snapped back. "He was creating armies of Conduits to scare people, to kickstart a genocide to wipe out my kind. All because of his religious devotion and his belief that we were monsters. And I almost proved him right." No-one had an answer, allowing Cole to fade reality to himself and Zeke before a dock, Forced Conduits patrolling it. One held a Blast Core. Before anyone could comment, Zeke started coughing loudly.

" **Jesus, why didn't you tell me, Zeke?"** PastCole asked with major concern for his friend.

"Does he have it?" Jaune asked, referring to the plague. The Real Cole nodded. Everyone's moods dropped at the revelation that Zeke had little time left. Rather than stare at his best friend, the Real Cole stared upwards at the worsening weather.

" **Looks like it's gonna be a hell of a storm."** Zeke said as he noticed the thunder clouds drifting over New Marais. Following Zeke's comment, everyone else looked up.

"Don't tell me you can…" Amber started as Cole's past self strode right into the middle of the Forced Conduits, ignoring every bullet that hit him. Once in the centre, he drained electricity directly from the storm.

"Poor bastards never stood a chance." The Real Cole said as a massacre erupted. Conduits were downed left and right as the Prime Conduit devastated them with unlimited electricity. Some of the heavier Conduits raised their ice pillars, firing beams of ice at the Past Cole. Cole shrugged them off, draining constantly from the clouds above. Then the pillars were shattered by rockets, burying their Conduits underneath. Lighter armoured Ice Soldiers darted in close aiming for a point blank shotgun round at Past Cole. Then the students witnessed something horrifying: Past Cole leaned back, draining the life from every man around him in seconds, leaving empty corpses.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO THEM?!" Screamed a few of the group, the Real Cole looking guiltily at the ground.

"Ionic Drain." He mumbled. "I drained them of the neuro-electric energy in their bodies, killing them instantly."

"And you can just do that at will!" Shouted a horrified Ruby. Cole shook his head.

"Costs me an Ionic Charge, and I have none right now and will never get anymore. I can only get them from people who carry residual Ray Field energy." A few of the group breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Cole could not perform such cruelty again. Without everyone glaring at him, Cole exhaled loudly, the next memories weighing heavily on him. "Only two more left."

Atop Zeke's rooftop abode at night, Cole had merged with his past self, sitting down next to Zeke. He needed to live his final times with Zeke. He had to accept it and move on. It didn't take long for the others to notice the merging, a feeling of dread filling them. Cole sat down with a loud sigh.

" **You think I'm ready for this?"** Asked the grizzled Conduit.

" **The way I see it, there's basically two types of people. Most of them are guys like me. Guys that sit on the couch: we might not like the shit that happens to us, but we deal with it."** A few of the Remnant group nodded.

"It certainly fits him." Port noted.

" **Then there are guys like you."** Zeke patted Cole on the back reassuringly. Reaching behind himself, Cole brought out the last Blast Core. Staring at it deeply before tilting it towards Zeke.

" **End of the road."** Said Cole. Zeke snorted in agreement, reaching for a beer.

" **Cheers, brother. Half as long-"** Zeke said raising his drink to the Blast Core.

" **-Twice as bright."** Finished Cole, clinking the Core against the bottle.

Cole divided into his two selves as the past one went to activate the Blast Core. Immediately his expression was sad. "There was one last kick to the balls for me too." Time passed to day, with all three Conduits lying on the ground in pain, the RFI sparking. "The RFI was designed not just to kill the Beast, but all Conduits."

"What?!" Shouted a few of the group.

"I was scared, unsure of what to do. So I sided with John and Kuo. It cost me my best friend." Cole merged once more, watching as Kuo chased after Nix, who had stolen the RFI. Behind the sunglasses Zeke glared, everyone could feel the hate and betrayal leaking off of him. The ultimatum was heart-wrenching for both the ones watching, and Cole.

" **You ever see me again, shoot first."** Cole bowed his head as time skipped, his body moving on its own, to a stance that was burned into his mind. Again he gripped the Amp, and sent a shock through it. Below him lay Nix, dead. Beside him the others watched, tears flowing down a few of their faces. But then the gates opened as Ozpin turned and saw who was next.

"I am truly sorry, Mr MacGrath." One by one people turned to Ozpin, then looked beyond him. There stood Zeke, revolver in hand, RFI in the other. Amber sobbed as she realised what was going to happen, Cole stepping forward with only misery in his grey eyes. Both Coles spoke, but the tone was different.

" **H** a **l** f **a** s **l** o **n** g- **"** Began Cole, watching Zeke raise his revolver to him once more.

" **-Twice as bright."** Finished Zeke, levelling his revolver. **"I gotta try."**

" **I** k **n** o **w**. **"** Said Cole, but the bullet never hit him. Zeke stood frozen before everyone. Cole was just as confused as anyone else, splitting from his past self.

" **I think everyone has seen enough, MacGrath.** " Echoed a voice throughout the red sky. Cole's eyes widened, a face of both recognition and confusion.

"No. I watched you die, John." Cole spoke out to the sky.

"You've watched me die three times already, Cole. I-"

"How can you be so goddamn calm?!" Screamed Cole, electricity beginning to crackle off of his body. "Watching you 'die' meant I almost killed Ruby!"

" **And I regret what I did but… I did not realise I could not die, as long as you hold a part of my power. Simply put, as long as you are the Beast, Cole, I will not fade from existence.** "

Cole stepped back, unsure of what to do. He could feel everyone's eyes on him, but couldn't react. As his mind went blank, so did the reality, the void returning. Angry didn't even come close to how Cole began to feel. John had kept quiet all this time, leaving Cole to drink and cause more harm and pain than he'd ever wanted. With his entire mind focused on John, Cole neglected the fact that he was sparking electricity violently.

"COLE!" Shouted Amber.

" **MacGrath!** " Echoed John, slowly forming into his human shape.

Snapping out of the angry daze, Cole turned on John, viciously berating him. "Once I've let everyone go from here, you and I are gonna have a chat. You've caused enough problems for me as things are!" Before John could speak, everything shattered, the mental link being severed.

* * *

 **This chapter really drained my energy, so halfway through I thought up an idea. Have two ongoing series to alternate and keep my enthusiasm up.**

 **I'm going to set up a poll for the genres, e.g. TV, Anime, Game**

 **I hope you enjoyed this long chapter, and don't forget to review!**

 **Wardtortle, out!**


	10. Hell Hath No Fury

**Phew! 10 Chapters, 46 Favourites, 74 Followers, 46 Reviews and 6830 Views. I love you guys!**

 **Best thing, this fic still has a lot to offer! Though the poll for my next fic is up on my profile!**

 **Now, lets get onto reviews:**

 **flamelegendvargas: Thanks for the support!**

 **kyrogue23: You mean Trish and Zeke, I may show the argument as a flashback, but I want to progress the story a bit for now.**

 **Noob6: As much as I'd love Cole to fake death and regen, that would make him too OP. If and how Cole deals with Cinder, I'm keeping under wraps cause plot twists etc.**

 **Dog: Hoooo boy, where to start? With the shouting, he was still explaining his powers to the faculty, so he doesn't need to shout again. Physical feats: Cole's main advantage over anyone in RWBY is his reaction speed and Radar Sense. Although he can't sense Aura, he can still sense neuro-electric energy, giving him effective 360 vision when fighting.**

 **Comparing Cole's strength to Aura users, their strength can match and easily exceed Cole's, even Ruby's strength is impressive for her size (think carrying Crescent Rose). Though I have devised a sneaky way to temporarily boost Cole's strength based on RWBY logic.**

 **Finally, Ionic attacks. You make good points, but I don't want Cole to have immediate access to them off of his own power. Lightning Storm is an exclusive case because it originally ran off his power source.**

 **With that out of the way, let's move on!**

* * *

 **Beacon – 2 weeks after the visions:**

Amber strained under the workload before her. Marking tests was pure torture, and Cole wasn't around to help her teach either. The Conduit had taken some leave to 'discover himself' after quite a brutal slating at John. As soon as the arguing had ceased, Cole had dropped a message to Ozpin, leaving for Forever Fall. Naturally, the Headmaster had approved Cole's 'request' and continued on with his day nonchalantly. Even after all Amber had seen, all the pain that Cole had endured, she was furious!

' _How dare he run off without telling me first!'_ Raged Amber as she shifted another marked test sheet aside. Not only had he left Amber to teach alone, Cole had made no contact in two weeks. The lack of contact both frustrated and worried Amber, only reports of freak thunderstorms over Forever Fall signalling Cole still existed. Leaning back in her chair, Amber let out an exasperated sigh. _'Perhaps I should call it a night, I can still mark the tests on Sunday.'_

A brief buzzing of her Scroll forced Amber to sit upright, reaching across her desk for the mobile device. Sliding it open, a message from Glynda popped up.

 _G – Mr MacGrath has requested a Bullhead. Perhaps you would like to head the retrieval?_

Amber let out another long sigh, one of relief or exhaustion, she couldn't really tell. Cole was the first friend the Fall Maiden had made in a long time, due to her constant travelling. In the week the two had planned their lessons, they had spent plenty of time chatting and cracking jokes. Amber had seen and felt the humanity hidden underneath the haunting appearance Cole first wore. After the sacrifices he made and the visions, Cole had very little left to dissuade her from believing he was anything other than human. No matter how many times he claimed to be a monster, Amber saw a man fallen from grace, and now rising from the ashes. After a brief moment, Amber tapped into her Scroll.

 _A – Of course. Will a student team be escorting me?_

 _G – That can be arranged. Thank you, Amber._

 _A – No, thank you, for telling me._

 _G – Please try not to tear him apart. Professor Ozpin values his staff very highly._

Amber giggled a little at Glynda's sense of humour, while a little dark, it was fitting and calming to see the stern woman crack a joke. Rising from her seat, Amber grabbed her double-ended Dust staff and walked out of her room.

 _A – Has a team been notified?_

A new name popped up in the chat, nothing escaping the Headmaster.

 _O – Team JNPR will be escorting you. I believed it prudent to send a team that knows the professor well. Stay safe._

Amber rolled her eyes a little at the last words. Ozpin still treated her like a child sometimes, even if he means well for her safety. Making her way out to the courtyard, JNPR greeted her with bubbly excitement. Well… Nora made up the bubbly excitement, JPR all stood together discussing what their mission could be. Nora's constant darting about eventually brought Amber into her field of view, the young hammer wielder brightening even more than before.

"Professor Keziah!" Nora yelled in excitement, arms raised high in the air, prompting her team to spin round.

"Evening, Nora." Greeted Amber with a warm smile. "Good evening to the rest of you as well."

"Good evening, Professor." Pyrrha replied politely. "May I ask why we were called out so late for a mission?"

Amber smiled, signalling for JNPR to follow with a nod of the head. "I've been tasked with retrieving an individual from Forever Fall, Ozpin picked your team specifically."

"What could we have that means we get picked?" Jaune asked.

"Not what you have. What you know." Amber corrected, her grin unseen by the students behind her.

"Always so cryptic." Mumbled Jaune, annoyed.

As the five approached the landing pad, a Bullhead landed, opening its door. Amber hopped in, followed quickly by JNPR.

"Forever Fall?" Asked the pilot, Amber nodded. The door shut behind the team and the teacher, the pilot lifting off without another word. Turning to the students behind her, Amber noticed the instant look of regret of Jaune's whitening face.

"Motion sickness?" Amber asked with concern.

"Motion sickness." Deadpanned the rest of team JNPR, Pyrrha placing a caring hand on Jaune's shoulder. Amber chuckled a little before addressing the team properly over the engines of the Bullhead.

"Alright! Our mission is to land within Forever Fall and locate the individual who requested extraction."

"Two questions." Ren stated while raising two fingers. "Who are we extracting? And how will we find them?"

Amber grinned. "You are a bright young man, Ren. Who do you think?"

Ren studied Amber's grin before it clicked in his head. It didn't take long for Pyrrha to read Amber's expression too. Neither knew why Cole had left so quickly that day, but neither were comfortable with him coming back, given the state they last saw him in. Jaune was too busy holding back his dinner to comment, but Nora slowly began to put the pieces together. Each little clue she added to the puzzle of the individual's identity made her grin more and more. Then she realised who they were helping.

"Professor Kessler!" Nora blurted out halfway through the flight, startling all but Ren, who slapped a hand to his face. Ren really loved Nora as family, possibly more, but sometimes… sometimes he couldn't comprehend his best friend's behaviour.

"Yes, Nora. We are going to find Professor Kessler." Ren said through his hand. It still sounded weird to know Cole's name and past, but call him Professor Kessler, given JNPR and RWBY knew the truth.

"This is perfect! I want to fight him then break some Grimm legs! Maybe eat pancakes afterwards?" Ren was pinching the bridge of his nose, groaning in exasperation.

"Let's… just find the Professor first. Okay?" Ren said to Nora, who was almost hovering in excitement.

"Okey dokey, Ren!" Nora replied, giving her friend a massive smile. Amber knew of the eccentricities of the first years, but Nora… Nora made her job far harder than it needed to be. She was glad Nora had a friend like Ren to keep in line. Well, relatively in line.

* * *

 **Forever Fall – 10 minutes later:**

Setting down in a wide clearing, the Bullhead opened its door. Amber stepped out with JNPR on her tail, making some distance between themselves and the VTOL before addressing the team.

"Cole- I mean Professor Kessler should not be far from this clearing. I want you to split into your partner pairs and search within a perimeter. Kill any Grimm on sight and contact me if you come across the Professor. Is that clear?"

"We won't let you down, Professor." Said Pyrrha proudly.

"Very well, get going before it becomes too dark. Grimm numbers increase at night." Ordered Amber, flourishing her staff and walking away from the group, into the autumn treeline. With Amber gone, JNPR took in Forever Fall properly. The trees were a beautiful red shade, leaves decorated the ground with similar colour. Calming, was how JNPR felt the forest affected them. Unlike the Emerald Forest, which was dark and overcrowded below the canopy, Forever Fall radiated the elegance of autumn. Not that it had any effect on Nora, who whizzed off into the treeline with zeal. Ren huffed, rolled his eyes, and followed with a light jog.

"We'll see you back at the Bullhead." Jaune shouted after Ren, who briefly waved without turning back. "Ah man, how are we going to find the Professor in a maze of a forest like this?"

"We don't, Jaune. He'll find us." Pyrrha corrected cryptically.

"Let's… let's get going." Jaune sighed, lacking enthusiasm. The two jogged off in the opposite direction to their teammates.

* * *

Nora couldn't hold back her excitement. In only one week, Professor Kessler had helped her so much with her semblance. What he had done before Beacon didn't matter now, he was her favourite teacher, and his return meant she'd only grow stronger under his teaching. Zipping through the trees, Nora yelled at the top of her lungs in a sing-song voice.

"Oh Professor Kessler~! The mighty Nora has come to help you~!" No reply came from the Professor, meaning to Nora that she had to shout louder. Ren beat her to it.

"NORA!" Shouted Ren, now running after his friend. Ren caught up with Nora as she stopped for him, the boy heaving for air. "Nora… wait… for me… next time." Nora gave him a big hug, almost crushing the ninja of JNPR.

"Awww, I'd never leave you behind, Ren! We've been together for sooooo long!" Ren forced a smile through the constricting embrace, tapping Nora to submit.

"Nora… too tight." Ren managed to squeeze out of his mouth. Seeing Ren's condition, Nora let go quickly.

"But not 'together-together'," giggled Nora. As the hammer-wielder watched Ren recover, she heard a low growl from the brush behind her. Out from the shrubbery stepped an Ursa. Not an Ursa Major, but still a large Ursa. Nora grinned maniacally, drawing Magnhild in its hammer form. "Ooooh, look Ren: transport for us!"

Ren paled, remembering the last time Nora used an Ursa as a means of transport. He wasn't fond of going on another Grimm rodeo. Instinctively drawing out StormFlower, Ren's intellectual mind came up with an idea to possibly kill two birds with one stone.

"Nora, for once, be loud." His childhood friend craned her head to give Ren a confused look.

"But I'm always loud, Renny." Nora stated matter-of-factly.

"I mean be louder than normal. Make as much noise while killing this Ursa, and it'll attract the Professor." As Ren explained his idea, Nora's grin grew wider and wider.

Snapping upright, Nora saluted her friend. "You got it!" Twirling her hammer in her hands, Nora leapt at the Ursa, swinging her hammer down hard towards its head. "NORA SMASH!" She yelled as the hammer connected with the Grimm, stunning but not killing the Grimm. Firing a blast from her hammer, Nora launched back from the Ursa as it retaliated in rage. Rolling out of the way of the Ursa's wide swipes, Nora cackled with glee each time Magnhild crushed a Grimm body part. If the Ursa had been anything but a monster of pure darkness and evil, Ren would've felt sorry for it. Soon the Grimm was crippled, Nora changing Magnhild into its grenade launcher form to obliterate what remained.

"Pfft, easy peasy!" Chirped Nora as she rested Magnhild on her shoulder. "Now we can wait for the Professor!" It wasn't Cole who reacted to the explosions and screaming, but more Grimm. Ren realised the flaw in his plan: while noise could attract Cole, it also attracted the Grimm. Sighing loudly, Ren dropped low, weapons at the ready. More Grimm stalked into the vicinity, Beowolves, Creeps and Ursa surrounding the childhood friends.

Nora laughed at the appearance of more Grimm. "How many skin rugs can we make out of these, Ren?" Both students backed up together, pressed together with weapons ready. Ren glanced over his shoulder, amused at Nora's imagination. He played along.

"Enough to buy a castle of pancakes. Will that do, Nora?" Nora glanced to Ren, giving him a friendly grin.

"And we all know who is queen!" Nora declared, charging forward with a battlecry. Ren copied her, albeit silently. The Grimm didn't know what hit them.

* * *

Jaune felt at ease for once. Sure he was in a Grimm-infested forest with night riding in, but he still felt relaxed. Why? Because he was paired up with not only his partner, but the best fighter in his year without a doubt. Pile this with the tranquillity of Forever Fall, and you had a recipe for an enjoyable evening mission. The sentiment was unknowingly shared by Pyrrha, but her training and her mission kept her from truly relaxing in Jaune's company. Minutes had passed since the split, and not one shred of evidence had been found to locate Cole. It had crossed Pyrrha's mind to contact the professor on his phone, but she had no number for him. So the two soldiered on through the sunset, patrolling the perimeter in search of Amber's assistant.

Explosions and gleeful cackling echoed across Forever Fall, a sign of Nora encountering Grimm. Opening his Scroll, Jaune observed Nora's Aura level, not shifting one bit. Happy his teammate was fine, he gave a reassuring smile to Pyrrha and explained with one word:

"Nora." Pyrrha was unsurprised, rolling her eyes and smirking. With the ice broken, Pyrrha made conversation.

"So, Jaune." The blond leader turned his head to look at his partner. "What have the Aura Professors taught you?" Unlike other classes, Aura Control was very student specific, often meaning some students had to have individual training rather than as a team. Take Pyrrha and Weiss for example, who both have excellent Aura control in combat already through their Semblances. Therefore they were tutored by Professor Keziah in order to perfect their technique and prevent large amounts of Aura drain. Students who used Aura less actively in combat were shifted onto Professor Kessler, who tested and trained them to develop a style of combat that integrated Aura. The absence of Professor Kessler, however, meant that these students almost had to be self-taught for the two weeks. Jaune especially struggled.

"Oh… uh. Well, all I really know is I have a large amount of Aura. I've not exactly found my 'style' yet." Jaune frowned at his lack of progress.

"Don't worry about it. You haven't had Aura until initiation, so it isn't surprising you struggle with it right now." Pyrrha said comfortingly, placing a hand on Jaune's shoulder and smiling.

JNPR's leader sighed and smiled half-heartedly. "Yeah… I'll give it some time."

"Good!" Chirped Pyrrha, giving her partner a playful punch to the arm. Jaune subconsciously rubbed his arm as he smiled back at Pyrrha. Neither of the two heard the low growling as they were strolling along discussing school. A Creep launched from the undergrowth, straight for Jaune's legs, intent on crippling its prey. What it never expected was to be bisected mid-air. Bisected by a small, blue bolt of energy. Dissolving as it fell, the Grimm dissipated on contact with the ground, both students jumping back with weapons now drawn. Instantly, Pyrrha was scanning the trees around her, looking for the culprit of the Grimm's demise. Then she heard a familiar crackling, a blue glow emitted from her right.

"Who's there?" Asked the Spartan, Milo in rifle form, pointing at the blue light. Dry chuckling answered her, a grizzled Professor Kessler stepping out with an extended Amp in hand. Two weeks had not been kind to the professor. Cole's shirt was shredded, hanging in pieces over his body. Cole's stubble had thickened, but still been maintained by the Conduit. Add a layer of dirt over his light tan, and the man looked like hammered shit. Additionally, the Amp fared no better, scratches and small dents illuminated by the blue electricity arcing between the prongs.

"Ain't this nice. I knew they were sending out someone to help me, but who'd have thought it would be you guys." Cole said, giving his students a smile.

"We were hand-picked by Professor Ozpin to join this mission." Pyrrha stated proudly.

"Heh. Nice to see Oz cares." Cole smirked before gazing at the darkening sky. "Let's go find your teammates before they draw even more Grimm."

"Right." Jaune nodded, leading the way in the general direction of Nora's previous explosions.

"Professor," Pyrrha started. Cole tilted his head, humming in response. "Do you mind if I ask what you were doing out here?"

"Oh nothing special." Cole dismissed casually. "Just training, sorting my head out a bit. Having John sitting in the back of my mind didn't go down well at first." Jaune was going to query how Cole could be so casual about it, but he remembered that the Conduit had done far weirder than have a dead man inhabit his mind.

* * *

Finding the childhood friends took no time at all, given Nora had made a small clearing with her explosions. A clearing that both now sat in, said girl leaning on her friend, snoring loudly. Ren's eyes flicked up, barely perceiving the outlines of his teammates and Cole through the dark night.

"Mission accomplished?" Ren asked casually through the darkness.

"Close enough." Replied Cole in a similar manner, squatting in front of Nora with the Amp cradled in his arms. "What's up with Nora?"

"Full day plus a fight with Grimm, she's exhausted." Ren explained, Nora stirring but not waking.

"Hmm, Ursa skin rugs… pancakes." Mumbled Nora happily as she shifted her head slightly on Ren's shoulder. Jaune and Pyrrha laughed softly at the childish dreaming.

Cole smirked, placing the Amp down and sparking his hands. "Well… this should perk her up enough to get to the Bullhead."

Ren shook his head quickly but carefully, not wanting to wake Nora. "Please don't, it's hard enough to get her like this in the first place."

Cole shrugged his shoulders, "Fair enough. I'm not carrying her though."

"No need, I'm used to carrying her about on my back." Following his word, Ren slowly lifted the girl onto his back. "Shall we be going?"

"Yes please." Said Jaune in relief, beginning the brief trek to the Bullhead. Pyrrha took the chance to finally message Amber that they had found Cole. Trekking back was simple, the Bullhead sat neatly in the middle of the clearing. Afterwards… not so much. Grimm had followed the group back to the Bullhead, packs of varying Grimm headed by alphas.

"Seriously?" Jaune groaned as the Grimm stalked from the treeline.

"Never simple." Chimed Cole, raising his Amp to point at a small Beowolf. Before the weapon had even extended, a smaller variant of the Scythe Bolt shot from between the prongs, decapitating the lesser Grimm.

"When could you-?" Asked Jaune, Cole cutting him off.

"I figured if you could fire stuff from your weapons, I could use the Amp to channel and fire electricity from. It wasn't that hard to master." In response to the dead Beowolf, the Alpha Beowolf howled, signalling the rush of Grimm.

"You three watch over Nora. I have this." Cole stabbed the Amp into the soil, cracking his knuckles as electricity arced along his arms. In normal circumstances, Cole would've struggled to hit targets when it was this dark. The Grimm handicapped themselves with the glowing red eyes. Cole raised his right arm, obliterating Beowolf heads with Magnum Bolts. Any lesser Beowolves that got close never remained there long, blasted into the sky with Graviton Blasts. Multiple Grimm types were tricky to deal with. Ideally Cole, wanted to prevent the Grimm from reaching the students, but that was impossible with their numbers. This fact forced Cole on the offensive.

Wrenching the Amp from the ground, Cole fired a Lightning Tether, the rope of electricity connecting with a large Ursa. Dragged towards a now swinging Grimm, Cole let go, sliding underneath the bear Grimm. While beneath the Grimm, he gutted it with a Gigawatt Blade, rolling away as the Grimm dropped dead. Instantly he was pounced on by a Creep, which got launched high by a kick. Rolling backwards onto his feet, Cole pressed further into the Grimm numbers, aiming for the Alphas. Bone armour shattered under the Amp, the weapon groaning under strain it had suffered for two weeks. Worried that his weapon could break with further combat, Cole backhanded a Beowolf in his way, then gripped the Amp like a javelin. Charging up the Amp, Cole propelled it into the neck of the Beowolf Alpha from thirty metres away.

Jaune couldn't believe what he was seeing as the Amp clotheslined the Alpha, taking its head clean off with a sickening snap. Two weeks, and Professor Kessler could decapitate an Alpha Grimm, with a blunt object! Watching almost got him in trouble, as a Beowolf leapt at him, only to be cut down by Pyrrha.

"Jaune! Focus on protecting Nora. The Professor is fine." Pyrrha ordered. Jaune groaned, taking a defensive stance in front of his teammate. How could Nora sleep through all this?

Back with Cole, he had 'unsheathed' his Gigawatt Blades, slashing and tearing through any Grimm between him and the Ursa Alpha. This Alpha was grotesque; thick bone spikes protruding from its back, as well as a mangled face from previous encounters with humans.

"Eh, not the ugliest thing I've faced." Cole said as the massive Ursa lumbered towards him. Two large paws smashed the ground, forcing Cole to jump back. Opening with a few Alpha Rockets to the Ursa's face, Cole weaved around the lesser Grimm that assaulted him. His Radar Sense was useless against Grimm, but his instincts were not. A Creep slashed at his right side, but Cole stepped back, driving his left knee into the soft underbelly of the Grimm. Charging electricity through his right leg, Cole performed a 360 pivot on his left leg and drove his charged leg into the lesser Grimm. Charged with electricity, the Creep exploded with lightning when it came into contact with the Ursa Alpha. A considerable chunk of the large Grimm was ripped from its body, allowing Cole to use a Lightning Hook on it. Pulled towards the Alpha, Cole pushed off of the Grimm into the air above. Clasping both hands together, Cole sparked all over as he crushed the Ursa's head with a Thunder Drop.

Cole stood straight up, cracking his back to shake off the effects of shattering bone bare-handed. Unknown to the students, Cole was exhausted. Two weeks with minimal sleep and only Dust crystals to recharge himself. It didn't help that the remaining Grimm, a few Creeps and their Alpha, were bearing down on the Conduit. Preparing a Lightning Storm, Cole hesitated when he felt a breeze wash over the clearing. Quickly the breeze became a tornado, as Amber stepped out of the treeline, the wind Dust crystal on her staff flaring. Her expression? Amber was furious, not only did she have pent up aggression against Cole for ditching her, now she had to help clean out the remaining Grimm before leaving. This meant more wasted time. Every step she took made her appear more and more like Glynda, swatting Creep's left and right. With the pesky lesser Grimm dealt with, Amber twirled her staff rapidly and efficiently to the fire Dust side, unleashing a massive fireball. JNPR (minus a sleeping Nora) had never seen a Grimm vanish so quickly, incinerated and vaporised in milliseconds.

Cole appreciated the help, ignorant of her fuming expression. "Great to see you, Amber" He said genuinely. Amber snapped a glare at Cole, storming towards him with vicious intent. "Um… Amber. Are you alright?" Cole asked, slight nerves setting in. Amber's response? Across Forever Fall, a resounding crack of a hand meeting a cheek.

* * *

 **I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Got to have a few touching moments between JNPR, and some Nora, can't go wrong there. Ren and Nora are without a doubt my favourite characters, the childhood friends done right (more development please RT!).**

 **With the poll, I'll announce the results after chapter 12, that gives about another week for the votes to come in!**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**

 **Wardtortle, out!**


	11. Back in Business

**This is a little later than planned and I'm sorry, I just horrifically procrastinated with the drop of DLC 3 for Black Ops 3 (Zombies for life). Other personal reasons stopped me from writing yesterday but I'm not going to go into that. Also, I'm going to announce the poll results at the end and what the crossover will be, only fair since I took so long.**

 **Reviews!**

 **Noob6: Metal Gear Rising Revengeance. Loved that game and the whole MG franchise (MGS4 final boss and ending was perfect!). With Amber's surname, she has no official surname on the wiki so I picked Keziah.**

 **amvmaster: Yup.**

 **Dog: Cheers buddy :)**

 **kyrogue23: I want Cole's combat style to develop, especially for the upcoming arc, spamming rockets doesn't really work anymore.**

 **As always, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Beacon – Ozpin's Office:**

A Conduit's healing capabilities cannot be taken lightly, especially with a Conduit like Cole MacGrath. Said Conduit could heal deep wounds and organ ruptures in a matter of seconds, with enough electricity to drain of course. But no level of healing could remove the lingering pain on Cole's left cheek as he sat in front of Ozpin, tidied up and smartly dressed in his blue tinted work clothes. Propped against his leg was the Amp, battered and deteriorating. Ozpin, like always, sat casually in his chair with a large mug of coffee, his eyes scanning Cole from behind the beverage.

"So let me get this straight." Ozpin began, taking a sip. "You went off to train for two weeks."

"Yep." Cole replied, wanting to get this report to Ozpin over.

"You killed two Alpha Grimm and their respective packs." Ozpin continued.

"Dead." Answered Cole bluntly.

"Then Amber proceeded to slap you for wasting-"

"Wasting her time. Yes, it's like I just told you this." Cole said sarcastically.

Ozpin breathed in deeply through his nose, then closed his eyes and sighed loudly. "You really need to avoid going on surprise vacations, Mr MacGrath."

"And Amber needs to spend less time around Glynda." Cole retorted, rubbing his cheek subconsciously. Ozpin chuckled a little at Cole's misfortune, quite aware of Glynda's aggressive tendencies when irritated. Leaning back him his chair, Ozpin sipped at his coffee before continuing.

"Perhaps the best course of action would be to converse with Amber over your class. After all, you will be teaching again tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah." Responded Cole, standing up to leave, retrieving his weapon as he rose. He decided to take Ozpin's advice, heading for the adult accommodation.

"Cole." Ozpin called after him, stopping the Conduit halfway between his chair and the elevator. Cole turned to see a serious look on Ozpin's face.

"Yes?" Cole answered.

"Do not hesitate to ask for help. Any and all of us are here to aid you in finding your place in Remnant." Ozpin's voice was sincere, forcing Cole to smile slightly and nod his head. The Headmaster returned the gesture, allowing Cole to leave. Opening his Scroll, a message from Qrow sat waiting for Ozpin to read:

 _Queen's Pawns elusive, maintain caution._

* * *

 **Beacon Courtyard:**

Fresh air was always welcome to Cole, it made a nice change to the overpowering stench of coffee that inhabited Ozpin's office. Aura must have some effect with limiting the negative results of drinking too much coffee, or Ozpin and Oobleck would have died already from coffee alone. Scanning the courtyard, Cole noticed it was practically empty, an unusual occurrence for a Sunday. Not that he minded the peace and quiet. Sitting down on one of the benches, Cole relaxed for the first time in weeks. Sure Forever Fall was tranquil, but with the ever-present threat of Grimm, Cole couldn't stop for long. Leaning back into the bench, Cole laid his weapon across his lap and shut his eyes. In retrospect, how long had it been since he had properly relaxed? Ever since the Blast, Cole always had some looming threat to deal with. It had been about two months since the Blast, relatively speaking, yet Cole felt like he'd been fighting all his life. Life never could be simple for the twenty-six year old Conduit.

With his eyes shut, Cole could feel a presence walking up to his bench, a small amount of weight creaking the opposite end to Cole. Normally the Conduit would have said something, but he couldn't bring himself to disturb the momentary tranquillity he had discovered. This left an awkward silence between Cole and his unknown neighbour, at least until a young voice piped up.

"Lien for your thoughts, Professor?" Female, young, elegant. To most the voice would have simply been one of a young woman, but the kindness of the voice betrayed who it was.

"No need, Pyrrha." Cole said, identifying the girl without opening an eye. "Just enjoying the quiet for once."

Cole could feel Pyrrha shift in her seat, a sign of the girl changing her method of conversation. "Oh… well, you wouldn't mind if I joined you then?"

"Go ahead. If you answer a question for me first." Cole offered.

"I don't see why not." Pyrrha said happily. Professor and student sat beside each other in a brief silence, neither wanting to ruin the atmosphere, but Pyrrha's impatience got the better of her. "So… what did you want to ask me?"

Cole opened his eyes and tilted his head slightly to look at his student. "Hmm? Oh, right the question." Sighing loudly, Cole continued. "I've been away two whole weeks, I guess… I guess I want to know what you all think of me."

Pyrrha was taken aback by what Cole was asking, mulling it over for a few seconds before answering. "That's… quite a loaded question. I mean, I can't answer that on behalf the others but… I can say that I believe you to be stronger than all of us. Not in the physical and combative way, but the emotional and mental way. You've fought and lost so much in a short space of time, yet still haven't lost what makes you human."

"I certainly didn't feel like a human back in New Marais." Cole said sadly.

"That's what impresses me, and a few others will probably agree. You regained your humanity. We see you smile and laugh, and you saved Ruby despite the risks. You did what any of us would do for each other. I guess that scores you a few points in our books." Pyrrha concluded.

Cole moved back to his relaxed state, closing his eyes again. "Thank you, that means a lot." Feeling the friendly sentiment being sent back, Cole changed topics. "Enough about me, I would've thought you'd be enjoying the company of your team. Something wrong?"

"What?! N-no, just taking a breather… from Nora." Pyrrha blurted out, the last part obviously just made up.

Cole opened his right eye to see a rather red-faced Pyrrha. "Oh really? I have a sneaking suspicion that isn't the case. Guy trouble? Or do you swing the other way?"

Pyrrha went even redder, stammering multiple times before answering properly. "I'm not even sure how to explain this… to a teacher I mean."

"Pyrrha, I'm hardly older than you kids, it's not like your saying this to Ozpin." Cole said semi-seriously, finally opening both eyes and leaning forward.

The Spartan breathed deeply, speaking clearly. "I've been a form of celebrity since my training back in Mistral. Never once losing a fight. It brought me fans and fame, but also loneliness." Cole shifted, being the centre of attention was something he knew very well. "Most people regarded me as the Invincible Girl, and that was all I was. At least until I met Jaune."

Cole narrowed his eyes, silently processing this information while speaking. "Normally I'd say just tell him straight up you like him. I'm sensing a 'but' though."

Pyrrha nodded. "Jaune's only got eyes for another girl."

"And does she like him?" Cole asked.

Pyrrha actually laughed a little. "She'd never date him in a million years."

Cole smirked. "Then what's the problem? Just be patient and tell him when you're ready."

"Of course... I guess because this is all new to me I'm worrying too much. Thank you, Professor." Pyrrha smiled, getting up to rejoin her team.

"You're welcome." Cole said with a smile. "Oh and Nikos." Pyrrha turned her giving a small hum of acknowledgement. "If Jaune says yes, make the most of what you have. Being in love with Trish gave me some of the greatest moments of my life." The Spartan nodded with a smile, finally leaving Cole to himself. Leaning back into the bench, Cole once more soaked up the tranquillity of the courtyard. Soft, warm sunlight, accompanied by a light breeze. The air was clear and natural, completely different to the polluted stench of Empire City and New Marais. Aside from the criminals and the monsters of evil, this world was bliss to Cole, and in a way he was glad he ended up here.

" **As much as I'm enjoying the ambience, don't you have someone you need to apologise to?** " Interrupted John, his voice echoing in Cole's mind.

Huffing loudly, Cole jabbed back at John. "Way to ruin the moment, John. Since when did you become my secretary?"

" **The minute my existence became entwined with yours, Cole.** " John answered bluntly, obviously attempting to move Cole on rather than be side-tracked into a telepathic conversation.

"Seriously, you can be such a mood killer." Cole groaned as he forced himself up off the bench.

" **Tough shit, MacGrath. You're stuck with me for life.** " John taunted, making Cole sigh in defeat.

"Let's just… go see Amber." Cole muttered, slinging the Amp onto the magnet holster laced into the back of his suit. Satisfied that the weapon was secure, Cole trudged off towards the faculty living quarters.

* * *

 **Amber's Room – Ten Minutes Later:**

Loud knocking on her door disturbed Amber. Not that she was doing much, napping with her head resting on a pile of test papers. Between the work on Saturday and the late night retrieval of Cole, she was exhausted, even after a good night of sleep. Amber wore her casual clothes, the ones she had travelled around Remnant in, minus the golden armoured boots, bracer and pauldron. Giving out a tired groan, Amber pushed away from her desk, stretching out her limbs and yawning as she stood up. Walking slowly to the door, Amber unlocked it and opened it just enough to peer out. Outside waited Cole, leaning on the doorframe casually.

"Hey Amber. Mind if I come in?" Cole asked softly. Yawning once more, Amber disappeared behind the door and pulled it wide open. With a gesture, Amber let Cole in, the man slowly walking in. Once inside he turned to Amber. "Thanks."

"So, how can I help you, Cole?" The Maiden asked, slight impatience and lethargy in her voice.

"Uh… not really how you can help me, the other way round sounds about right." Cole corrected hesitantly. Amber blinked with tired eyes, slowly realising Cole had come to help.

"An apology would be a nice start." Amber snapped with the intent of intimidation, but the sleepiness in her voice just made Cole laugh. With the Conduit laughing at her, Amber took the first action that popped into her head, slapping Cole right across the cheek. Though not as rage fuelled as the slap in Forever Fall, Cole still felt it.

"ARGH! Jeez Amber, is this going to become a thing? If so you better carry ice packs." Instinctively, Cole walked to the nearest power socket, touching a hand to it and draining a little electricity. After a brief moment, the crackling of electricity stopped, Cole removing his hand from his slapped cheek. Swivelling to face Amber, he found her wrapping her arms around him, a face of apology having replaced the exhausted visage.

"I'm sorry, Cole, I shouldn't have hit you like that. I just… I'm tired from all this work and was worried." Amber's hug tightened a little.

Cole didn't understand Amber's sudden change in tone, not fully reciprocating the embrace. "Worried? What do you have to be worried about? You're completely safe here at Beacon."

Breaking away, Amber's caring expression flickered, half glaring at Cole. "Not for my own safety, you idiot. For yours."

Smirking, the Conduit tried to dismiss Amber's worries. "I'll be fine. You've seen what I've been through."

"That's exactly my point!" Snapped Amber, raising her voice a little. "You've fought constantly for too long, and now you're being reckless. Ever since we met, you've caused me more and more trouble."

Leaning with his back against a wall, Cole sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, alright? I'm trying to fix myself but I have scars that won't fade." Reaching to his back, Cole drew the Amp, running a hand along the weapon. Seeing this, Amber's expression softened.

"Then like I've told you before, let me help you. Ozpin may have hired you to be my unofficial bodyguard, but what I see is the first true friend I've had in years." Amber stepped closer, placing a hand on the Amp to gain Cole's full attention. "I don't want to lose you to any self-destructive tendencies."

"You know what? I could almost say the same." Cole gestured to the piles of paperwork on Amber's desk, smirking. He was expecting another glare or a slap, but Amber just laughed lightly. "What I can say, is that I share the idea of us being great friends. Besides John, I don't exactly have any other friends." Cole's gaze returned to the Amp. "Well… not since then."

Again Amber hugged Cole, the compassion that all Maiden's shared for others flowing from her actions. Her words were soft, caring, and calming. "You may not be able to go back and see him now, but Zeke will be proud of what you've become."

Cole smiled, returning the hug willingly. "I know. I can't believe I'm offering but… need any help with that paperwork?"

Amber chuckled. "Thanks for offering, but do you really think you can mark tests on my side of the Aura course?"

"Ah. No, I don't think I could, but uh… maybe I can stay for moral support?" Cole said, releasing Amber. The Maiden smiled, pondered the idea, and then agreed.

"Fine. But any sarcastic remarks and I'm kicking your ass out."

Cole grinned, resting the Amp against a wall and grabbing a chair to sit next to Amber's. Satisfied, Cole spoke to Amber jokingly. "Deal, Boss Lady."

* * *

 **Aura Manipulation and Control Class (AMC) – Monday:**

With any form of educational establishment, rumours spread like contagious diseases, latching onto host after host. These rumours can be dangerous, like a flu. Or they can be harmless and more of an annoyance, like the Common Cold. While not dangerous, the rumour bouncing around AMC was that Professor Kessler had returned. While most had no concrete evidence, only supposed sightings, JNPR and RWBY knew better. Naturally, the staff had asked for privacy in regards to Cole's return, not that it stopped the news spreading. The two teams were a mixed bag of views on the return, mostly positive opinions. Nora, on the other hand, was sulking. All bar Ren were a little worried with Nora's reserved attitude, but Ren knew that Nora would cheer up very soon. The reason behind Nora's behaviour was that she had slept all the way through Cole's destruction of a Grimm horde. Any normal person would've been glad to sleep through the carnage, but not Nora.

Arms crossed over her desk and her head resting on top, Nora huffed as she watched the clock. "Ren. I'm booooored."

Ren simply patted Nora on the head. "Soon, Nora, soon." Nora grumbled, muttering gibberish with the odd 'pancake' audible. Next to JNPR, RWBY were in discussion.

"I'm glad I don't have to be taught by Professor Keziah anymore." Commented Yang. "Don't get me wrong, she's a great teacher, I simply prefer Kessler's methods better."

"The class is divided to suit skill type rather than skill level. It is most beneficial to our studies." Stated Weiss, quite openly fond of Professor Keziah's teaching style over Kessler's.

Ruby then chose to chip in on the conversation. "No matter who teaches you, we'll still be awesome after four years of their teaching!"

"That's something we can all agree on, Ruby." Commented Blake from behind her latest novel.

Every girl (minus Blake) nodded with approval, just for the classroom door to creak open. In stepped Professor Keziah, carrying a massive binder which held everything she had planned and had done for her class throughout the year. Most students assumed that because her uniform was her formal teaching outfit that the lesson was going to be a slow, theory-based lesson. Adding to this idea was the lack of any appearance by Professor Kessler.

Amber addressed her class with her usual warm manner. "Good morning class. I'll be brief not to waste any time. Could all those taking the Combat Aura training head to arena five." Looks were shared between the students, those who took Combat Aura training pushing up out of their seats. "Please grab your weaponry quickly from your lockers on the way. A teacher will be waiting for you."

"Well, catch ya later Weiss!" Ruby said, Weiss giving a dismissive wave as she was left behind by her team. With new spaces available, Pyrrha and Ren shuffled up next to Weiss, at least once Ren had managed to make Nora leave with the offer of pancakes.

"Are you sure Nora's alright?" Pyrrha asked Ren, who sighed.

"Of course, she's always been like this when she misses out. Odds are she'll cheer up by the end of this class, if the teacher is who we think it is."

* * *

 **Arena Five – At the same time:**

Cramming notes into your head never works just before a lesson, being either teacher or student. Cole was far from the exception, having to catch up on two weeks' worth of teaching while having spent most of Sunday helping Amber. Thankfully he had managed to squeeze a small table off in the dark corner of the arena, decorated messily with the files and grades of his students. At times like these, Cole wished that small electric devices didn't explode in his hands. Fed up with forcing knowledge into his mind, Cole decided to limber up before the students arrived. Beginning with a few stretches, Cole made his way to the centre of the arena. Drawing the Amp, slow, deliberate swings were made to warm up. Content with his strikes, Cole began to move faster, opting for flashier, acrobatic attacks. Leaping up high, Cole twisted his body to be near horizontal, spinning so that his one-handed grip struck downwards. This was followed up by a pivot on his landing foot, sweeping low and wide. Making the circular sweep, Cole then rose up with a two-handed uppercut. Jumping to meet the invisible foe he'd uppercut, the Conduit struck downwards again, but finished with an execution spearing with the prongs of the Amp into the ground.

A mass of electrical signals eased their way into Cole's mind, meaning that his class was close to arriving. Standing up straight, he brushed down and smoothed out his suit, taking off the jacket and laying it across the desk in the corner. Chatting students began to flow into the arena, taking seats in the stands that overlooked the arena. Most gave confused looks, scanning the arena for their teacher and finding nothing. The Faunus among the students could see clearly, pointing at Cole, who grinned in the corner. Tapping the Amp on the arena floor loudly, all eyes concentrated on the arena corner. With all attention on him, Cole strode out with the Amp resting on his right shoulder.

"All right kids, sit down, we've got _a lot_ to catch up on." Apart from the members of JNPR and RWBY, everyone was stunned. None of the other students had seen Cole's neutral look. Small chatter echoed in the stands, all questioning Professor Kessler's appearance. "Now, it is best we start with basic projection of Aura as a weapon. Simplest way, use your own weapon as a conduit for your Aura." As a demonstration, Cole raised the Amp, pointing it at a wall and letting a short burst of electricity surge out from the prongs. "Although mine is permanently mixed with lightning Dust," a necessary lie. "The idea is the same." Returning briefly to his notes in the corner, a candidate was picked to demonstrate.

"Jaune Arc, hop on down here. You're high reserve of Aura should make this child's play." From the stands Jaune gulped, walking down the steps nervously and onto the arena. "Good. Now, draw only your sword and focus your Aura into it. I'm well aware that Professor Keziah taught you this." Eyes tracked Jaune as he drew Crocea Mors, holding it out in front of himself two-handed. A slight pause happened, followed by a soft white glow. "Alright, now hold that for a bit." Cole paced round Jaune, watching him maintain the glow. Content with the boy's progress, the Conduit enlarged the distance between them, stood with his hands in his pockets a few metres away.

"What is Professor Kessler doing?" Asked Ruby quietly, intently watching Jaune's sword.

Blake answered before Yang, both were going to say the same thing anyway. "Being the punching bag."

"Good job, Jaune. Now I want you to swing your sword downwards in my direction, and let go of the Aura held in it." Jaune almost lost concentration, staring with disbelief at the Professor.

"You want me to… hit you?" Jaune asked incredulously.

"Bingo." Quipped Cole, crossing his arms waiting. Noticing the hesitation, Cole reassured Jaune. "I'll be fine. I'm a professional." Jaune nodded, steadying his stance and raising and slashing down with his sword. A cry of effort accompanied his movement. To everyone's surprise, the technique worked perfectly, a white crescent of Aura tearing through the air at Cole. Without blinking, the Professor raised an arm. In a split second the Aura Slash was destroyed, shattered by Cole swiping his right arm through it with force. Normally people would gawk at the display of strength from Cole, but this time the fact that Jaune pulled off the technique first time shocked people more, especially Team CRDL.

Slowly Cole's arm lowered, moving back into a clapping motion with his other arm. "I believe Port would say 'bravo'." The lesson was then opened up to those seated. "That was a simple use of Aura offensively that isn't Dust or Semblance. Through practice and in certain cases, emotion, Huntsmen can alter the shape, speed or power. But the real fine tuning is preventing Aura depletion, what Professor Keziah teaches. General practice will help reduce the cost of using Aura, but only her class will make it like you've never even used any. Oh… and I forgot to mention that weapons play a huge factor in the shape of the Aura attacks.

With a clap on the back by Cole, Jaune was sent back to his seat, high-fived and applauded by his friends. Now the class was underway for real, students stepping up in pairs to produce consistent Aura attacks. Ruby struggled due to Crescent Rose's shape, someone Cole would have to help more than others. Yang eventually figured she could mimic a sword edge by making her hand into a karate chop shape. Blake was by far the best, effortlessly creating slash after slash using Cole's directions. Nora's heart wasn't in it at first, but soon she created a larger shockwave of Aura than anyone else, which instantly catapulted her mood from sulking to glee. Cole smiled at their progress all the way until the bell rang for the end. Teaching a topic that technically he couldn't do himself was quite fun to the Conduit, providing a challenge he got paid for.

" _Maybe I'll get Amber something nice as thanks on payday."_ Thought Cole as he reviewed the notes Amber had given him. Gathering up the notes tidily, Cole made a few edits about the progress of each student. _"If they keep up like this, I'll have to ask about allowing spars."_

* * *

 **Vale Docks** **– Evening:**

Finding a man who not only didn't exist, document wise at least, and had not been seen in public at all, was the most tedious task Roman Torchwick had ever been set. Methodically searching Vale top to bottom without alerting the authorities was the first idea. Second was the customary trip to Vale's top info broker, Junior. Naturally the man knew nothing about Cole MacGrath, but said he'd keep his ears and eyes open for anyone matching his description. Now the crime lord resided in a dingy warehouse, accompanied only by Neo, some lowly thugs, and the White Fang. Sat in a worn leather armchair, in a poor excuse of an office, Roman weighed his options Aggravated and burning through resources, Roman decided calling his 'employer' was the best course of action.

As soon as the call connected, Cinder spoke with her sultry tone. "Ah, Roman. Do you bring me good news?"

Roman snorted with displeasure. "You wish. Your Electric Man is a ghost, zero evidence that the man exists apart from your word."

A soft sigh of disappointment escaped Cinder's mouth. "That is truly disappointing, Roman. Tell me, have you considered Beacon at all in your search?"

"Why would I? None of us could ever infiltrate Beacon, Ozpin does his checks _very_ thoroughly." Roman had tried to get men on the inside of Beacon, working as janitors or security guards, but every single one had been arrested within a week of applying.

"Then we wait, keep our greeting for him well prepared. By the time I arrive, he may show himself." Cinder's tone was getting gradually more serious, but still retained the seductive hints.

"And what if our greeting goes south?" Roman asked.

"Don't worry your head about that, Roman. I have an associate who is _more_ than willing to help us deal with Cole, _if_ we have to resort to killing him." The Crime Boss had a feeling he knew exactly who Cinder meant, and if it was, then Roman was going to avoid being anywhere near when shit hit the fan.

"Killing him would be the easiest way to deal with him." Roman stated, wanting to avoid unnecessary complications.

Again Cinder sighed with disappointment, lecturing the criminal. "This is why I'm in charge, Roman. Cole MacGrath possesses power that even my benefactor has not seen. And I want it, whether he joins me or not."

Not one to argue with a woman who could incinerate you, Roman conceded. "Fine, I'll have the usual route kept clear for you."

"Excellent. Do try to cheer up, Roman. The fun will begin once Cole has been dealt with."

"Got it." Roman muttered, ending the call and dropping his Scroll into his lap. Fed up with the past few weeks, Roman pushed himself out the chair, speaking to himself. "I need a drink."

* * *

 **A little bit of plot and a little romance, but now we move into the Cole vs Cinder Arc.**

 **Now, the poll result. With 60% of the votes, I will be writing another game crossover. 'But what game?' I hear you ask. Well, I like to write about things close to my heart, and it would be a sin for me not to use a childhood classic. So I will be crossing over Jak & Daxter with RWBY! Title is still in the works and the general plot will need planning, but I should be able to crank out an pilot chapter within a few weeks.**

 **Please give feedback by reviews or PMs, I love answering. And I hoped you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **One last note, anyone who got the reference at the start of the chapter can have one of Nora's pancakes.**

 ***Sounds of the 4th Wall being knocked down***

 **Nora: Who's offering away my pancakes?! I'll break his legs!**

 **Ren & Wardtortle: Nora, no!**

 **Nora: *brandishes Magnhild* NORA, YES!**

 ***static***


	12. Confrontation

***Repairing noises as I fix the 4th Wall***

 **Don't ask how I avoided Nora's wrath. Just... never again.**

 **Not much to say to start with, more at the end though.**

 **Reviews!**

 **redripper666: I disagree, it is more fun to watch a character fight hard to win. OP Cole with his full powers would be stupid and boring.**

 **kyrogue23: I read up on how Dust is used and Cole can't actually use Dust to its full potential cause he has no Aura. Lightning Dust is different cause he is only draining it.**

 **noob6: Not going to say anything, but remember Cinder is smart, exploiting weaknesses a lot.**

 **Dog: You will, in time that I only know.**

 **LDKV: I will be bringing in some Karmic Choices, which all you lovely readers might get to decide ;)**

 **madworld238: As much as I want a Delsin vs Cole showdown, I don't see myself writing it cause I've centred this story too much around Cole to add another complex character like Delsin.**

* * *

 **Beacon – End of the week after Cole's return:**

Teaching can be a real pain in the ass. Especially when you're a man who has very rarely followed the rules. Sure, Cole had the respect of his students, but that still didn't help control their behaviour. The Conduit also couldn't bear to lower himself to pulling a Glynda, and scaring the ever-loving crap out of his students. Staring at Coco Adel, the leader of team CFVY, brought Cole very close though. All the way through his lesson, she was tidying her hair or fixing her clothing, bad-mouthing Cole's fashion sense when she believed he couldn't hear. Coco's team, however, paid close attention. Velvet, a quiet but polite rabbit Faunus always studied hard, eager to grow. Fox was hard to read, given his blind eyes gave no emotion. He was as equally studious as Velvet though. Finally, there was Yatsuhashi, his behaviour contradictory of his massive stature. Cole was still quite pleased to see he had three of a team well on board with his lessons. Coco's constant rebelling in his lessons had begun to irritate him. Perhaps it was time to set an example, or lay some ground rules.

The former sounded preferable as Cole cleared his throat. "Now, I need a volunteer to demonstrate Aura enhanced strikes." Eager hands shot up, Velvet shyly raising her own. Naturally, Coco ignored the statement. "Miss Adel, well volunteered." Cole declared with a smug grin. The second year leader's eyes shot up, a little confused. Only when Cole gestured for her to walk to the arena did she get up, grabbing her purse. How that accessory managed to fit a minigun, Cole would never know. While his lesson could be applied to weaponry, Cole decided to toy with the fashion obsessed teen. "The purse won't be necessary."

Coco gave a disapproving glare, setting her weapon down next to Velvet. "Sure thing, Teach." Standing across from the Professor, Coco crossed her arms, waiting for instruction.

"Good." Began Cole, sticking his hands in his pockets. "I want you to now apply what I have just taught you, and land solid hits on me using Aura enhancement. Only, and _only_ when I believe you've hit me hard enough, will I approve you've learnt anything."

Normally Coco would query why she needed to learn this, but since this was effectively a combat class, she had no basis for complaint. Pushing up her designer sunglasses, Coco nodded to acknowledge Cole's instructions. "Got it, hit you hard."

"If you can." Quipped Cole, making Coco's mouth twitch in annoyance. "Begin when ready." The teen wasted no time, leaping forward with a fist raised, roaring as if it would improve her strength. Coco's minigun weighed so much that her natural strength was higher than you would expect. That didn't matter as he fist connected with Cole's chest, the Conduit hardly budging.

"What?!" Exclaimed Coco, shocked that her attack did nothing. Cole tutted.

"Not good enough, Miss Adel. Did you even apply any Aura to your attack?"

Coco protested. "I-"

"Did not put any into it. Have you been paying attention to anything other than your beret?" Cole's tone was serious, the pent up irritation leaking out. Previous moral habits from New Marais had begun to surface once more. Coco made to speak but Cole cut her off again. "For wasting some of my hard done effort, Miss Adel, I'm not going to stand still and take your hits." Cole stepped back a few paces before continuing. "From now you'll work hard to improve your grades, and to actually learn. Try again!"

Coco shifted into a more natural combat stance, knees bent and fists raised. Cole did nothing but hold his hands in his pockets. Another leap into action continued to lesson, Coco swinging hard and fast. With superior reactions came easy dodging for Cole, side-stepping and weaving around every hook, jab or uppercut. Kicks were thrown into the mix, forcing the professor to move with more effort. Minutes passed with Coco only landing glancing blows, none of which had any trace of Aura behind them. Both the student and teacher were frustrated, one because she was not being passed, the other because his teachings had completely flown over such a competent student's head. Fed up with this small dance the two were performing, Cole waited for Coco to overextend her reach, then tripped the leader up. Coco landed hard on her back, a small collection of gasps escaping the observing second years. Cole took a moment to squat beside his disoriented student, lecturing her with his hands still in his pockets.

"You know, I made a lot of mistakes before ending up here, and I'm not going to let you be another one. So here's the deal, every minute you fail to hit me with the technique I taught you, I up the difficulty. Breach five minutes and I'll be hitting back, got it?" A pained groan escaped Coco as she moved to get up, the lack of a proper response irritating Cole more. Soon the fashionista felt something was missing, light glaring into her eyes. Slapping a hand to her face, immediately she noticed the absence of her sunglasses. Said sunglasses were now tucked neatly in Cole's breast pocket.

"Why'd you take my sunglasses?" Asked Coco angrily.

"Because I can. Plus eye contact can do a lot of good for someone trying to understand his students." Instantly the second year student shot up, aiming for a rising uppercut which caught Cole at the base of his chin. The hit made Cole stumble back, but he hardly felt the punch, and so he frowned. Shaking his head, Cole beckoned Coco to attack with one hand, which quickly returned to his pocket. Another dance of violence ensued, Coco making zero progress. Inwardly, Cole was more frustrated than his student, feeling like his lesson was a waste if even one student didn't try their hardest. Hitting the two minute mark, attacks were now finding thin air more frequently. Cole had removed his hands from his pockets and was dodging faster, with greater balance.

At three minutes, Cole began to deflect the blows, all the while lecturing. "I had to grow to master my strength in weeks, while you possess four years to learn. That's why I am being harsh, because it disgusts me to see all I've been done be wasted over something as trivial as fashion."

In the stands, Velvet gasped loudly. "He didn't just say that, did he?"

Yatsuhashi confirmed Velvet's fears, watching his leader lose her composure quickly. "I'm afraid he did. While Coco has deserved a stern lecture, he is pushing things a little far." Anger was an emotion Cole understood too well, and Coco seethed at the insults to her passion. Four minutes dinged on the timer, followed by Coco being redirected and sprawling across the floor.

As Coco picked herself up, Cole showed a little mercy by going over the technique once more. "Aura enhancement is just like creating Aura shockwaves, but rather than letting go of the Aura into the air, you release it on contact with a target. Simple enough, Adel?" Forgoing the pleasantries meant that Cole was serious, if the timer hit five minutes, he may do something that he'd regret in order to get his lesson across. The explanation did have some effect, Coco's fists slowly gaining a soft brown glow. A small smile crept onto Cole's face as Coco charged, swinging at his face. Throwing his student to the ground once more, Cole gave a brief glance to the timer.

 _04.45_

 _04.46_

 _04.47_

Torn between proving his point and being the better person, Cole distracted himself long enough for Coco to land a square hit to his torso. Cole clutched his chest as he stumbled back. He had felt that one, which was enough for him. Another swing was coming quickly, forcing Cole's instincts to catch Coco's arm and wrench it behind her back.

"That's enough. You've proven you've learnt the technique." Slowly Coco was released, a few polite and cautious claps coming from the stands. A bell rang, students rapidly packing up to leave. Not sure if his point got through, Cole stopped the tired Coco and signalled that he wanted a word.

"Man that was one nasty arm hold." Said Coco, caressing her hurting arm.

"Coco." Started Cole firmly. "I really hope you have learnt more than just the technique from that lesson."

"I learnt that you can be a harsh bastard." Retorted Coco. Normally Cole would chuckle at this, being less formal and strict on language. This time Cole was serious, yet part of Amber was rubbing off on him.

"I wasn't lying with my comments. While I understand fashion is your thing, try to focus on my lessons. Do that and we'll get along, alright?"

Coco hesitated with her reply. "Uh… sure. We're you being serious about mastering your strength in weeks?" Cole simply nodded. "Damn." Turning to leave, team CFVY's leader was interrupted by Cole clearing his throat once more.

"You forgot something." Reaching into his breasts pocket, he retrieved Coco's now crumpled and shattered sunglasses. "Might need new ones though." Coco was about to go berserk, her accessories weren't cheap. Then she remembered that her final hit had landed on Cole's breast pocket.

"Fuck." She exclaimed quietly, pacing away from a grinning Cole, picking up her weapon and leaving quickly.

Alone, Cole gathered his notes, making some positive comments on Coco's progress. Releasing an exasperated sigh, the Conduit decided he needed something. A drink.

* * *

 **Vale Streets:**

Vale felt incredibly like New Marais to Cole, minus the crime and flooding. If the nightlife was any similar to New Marais, then Cole would not complain. Some of his best times with Zeke had come out of his first visit to New Marais, and now he had the chance to relive at least some of those times. Strolling along the endless pavements of the city started to feel therapeutic to Cole, just like relaxing in Beacon's courtyard. Simple pleasures had been removed from Cole's life since the Blast, so gaining the chance to experience a semi-normal life again was a chance that Cole took without hesitation. From now, Cole could rediscover what made his life enjoyable: friends, adventure, laughter and love.

' _Maybe the last one will have to wait.'_ Thought Cole, an image of Trish flashing before his eyes. _'One step at a time, Cole.'_

During the time Cole had been training, Ozpin had requisitioned had fitting set of casual clothes that the Conduit was grateful for. Cole's original courier jacket had been recreated, complete with the yellow inner and grey outer colours, but with the addition of inner pockets to store lightning Dust. Rounding a corner, a bright neon sign flickered to life. A crowd huddled below the sign as the doors to the building the sign adorned swung open. Out stepped two men in black suits with red ties, armed with pistols but giving not intention to use them. Cole glanced up at the sign, displaying a simple name.

 _Junior's._

Which made the two men bouncers to what Cole could only assume was a nightclub. Shrugging to himself, the Conduit crossed the street and joined the line of club goers. A small monetary fee allowed access to the club. Inside, the air was pulsing with deep, heavy beats of music. Not much stood out among the hordes of bodies dancing and revelling, but what did stand out was a large barman accompanied by contrasting coloured twins. The barman stood taller than Ozpin, but short of Yatsuhashi by an inch. Unlike the other suited men in the club, the barman opted for a waistcoat rather than a suit jacket and black gloves. The giant's demeanour and look screamed boss in Cole's mind, which made the man Junior. Once Cole had made it to the front of the line for drinks, he caught the attention of Junior quickly.

"What's your poison?" Asked Junior professionally.

"Beer, bottled. Don't care which." Cole replied calmly, a bottle soon sliding to him from behind the counter.

"You're new here." Commented Junior, waving at the twin girls helping him to cover the bar.

"What gave you that impression?" Replied Cole dryly, swigging his beer.

Junior leant on the bar with one arm. "I'm good with faces, and that scar would be easy to remember."

"Hmm, fair enough." Answered Cole, sipping away at his beer. "But a lot of new faces must come through here every night. Question is: why me?"

The club owner smirked, "Simple. You give off a deadly vibe. While everyone else here is partying to get lucky or just have fun, you look like you have a lot of shit that needs answering." Pushing off his bar, Junior then rested both elbows on the surface and clasped his hands together, a face of business replacing his polite and professional manner. "So my question is: What info do you need?"

Cole grinned, watching Junior's face closely for any slight twitch on his face. "Heh, well… I had come here to wind down, but info won't hurt. What are the rates?"

A grin bounced back at Cole, a merchant about to sell his wares. "Ask a question, I'll name the price if I know anything."

"Alright, seems fair. Know anything about a red-dressed woman who is accompanied by a green-haired girl and a silver-haired boy?" Junior gave hesitant glances from side to side at the question.

Both men leaned in unnecessarily, trying to hide their conversations from any possible eavesdroppers. "Yeah, I know 'em. Give me a name and what you do, and I'll tell you."

"Co- Kessler." Divulged Cole to Junior. "I work at Beacon as a teacher."

Junior's eyes lit up, this was the man Roman was hunting for, and the fake name was probably the main reason no-one could find him. "That's good enough. I've never met the three you're looking for, but I know their closest contact." A Scroll was slid in front of Cole, on it a picture of Roman Torchwick. "Find this guy out in the docks, and he'll most likely lead you to them. Not willingly of course."

With such information, Cole could track down the woman who took his powers quickly, and then he'd have little to worry about. It was a risk going alone but a chance he wouldn't pass up. "Got it. Cheers for the drink and the info, Junior." Cole said as he stepped away from the bar, leaving the club.

As soon as Cole had left the club, Junior picked up the Scroll on the counter and dialled in a memorised number. After a few rings, an energetic voice answered.

"Junior! How can your buddy Roman help you today?" Junior let out an unimpressed snort at Roman's flamboyance.

"By paying up. The man you were looking for walked in and traded his identity for info on you. I directed him to where you want him."

Roman's joy could almost be felt through the phone call as the crime boss spoke. "That is grand, Junior! I'll have someone drop off the Lien tonight." Immediately Roman hung up the call, spinning on a heel to face the innocently smiling Neo. "Neo sweetie, why don't you go find our guest? I have some good news to tell Cinder." Neo's innocent smile turned sadistic, the girl performing an exaggerated bow and vanishing in a flash of light. Strolling along the catwalks of the warehouse he was hiding in, Roman hummed to himself happily. Reaching the office at the end, a sharp knock on the door was answered by Emerald Sustrai, the green-haired thief under Cinder's command. It was no secret that Emerald disliked Roman, opening the door fully with a look of disgust directed at him. Inside the office was Cinder, sat casually on the desk. On the floor was Mercury Black, Cinder's other subordinate and an assassin, doing push-ups. With Roman's energetic arrival, all eyes were on him.

"I believe you bring good news for once, Roman?" Asked Cinder condescendingly.

Roman simply grinned. "That I do. Your Electric Man turned up at Junior's, and is on his way to the docks now. I sent Neo to… guide him here."

Cinder hummed with approval. "Perfect. Mercury…" The young assassin glanced up from his workout, waiting for orders. "… Go tell the White Fang to prepare, as a precaution."

"On it." Complied Mercury, hopping up and jogging out of the office.

"Good. Move everything into position Roman." Cinder ordered, waving to dismiss the crime boss. With Roman leaving, Cinder dropped off the desk and walked elegantly to the door, beckoning for her remaining minion to follow. "Come with me, Emerald. If all goes smoothly tonight, nothing will be able to stop our plan."

* * *

 **Vale Docks – 20 Minutes Later:**

All senses were on high alert, any slight disturbances on Cole's Radar Sense being investigated. The docks were a maze of crates and warehouses, perfect for criminals to reside in. Cole was lost in this maze, relying entirely on finding his enemy rather than finding a way out. Normally any plans Cole had were on the spot or planned with others, so being on his own left Cole to act on his instinct. Searching the docks would take all night though, so Cole decided to call in a little help. Ringing Ozpin, the number took a long while to connect, followed by a tired voice on the other end.

"Cole. This must be important if you are ringing me this late." A yawn escaped the normally self-controlled headmaster.

Cole couldn't waste time explaining, wanting to return to his search. "Damn right, Oz. I got a lead on the three who attacked Amber. Just send whoever you can to Vale's docks, pronto."

"I see. I will send Glynda to aid you." Ozpin offered nonchalantly.

"Not good enough, the docks are huge Oz. I need one more person." Demanded Cole impatiently.

Ozpin sighed. "I have no-one else to send, Bart and Peter left earlier today to capture more Grimm. I am sorry."

Cole was having none of Ozpin's games. "No, you do. Stop smothering her and send in Amber. I can protect her!"

Too tired to argue reason with Cole, Ozpin conceded. "Very well. Be careful Cole, you know what will happen if the enemy get their hands on her."

"I understand, Oz. I'll put her before my own safety." The call ended, Cole's Radar Sense pinging in his mind. A single person had entered his area, and Cole moved fast to intercept. Every step Cole took closer to his target made him realise that whoever it was, was headed straight for him as well. Soon Cole came across an incredibly short girl, decked in pink, white and brown. Even her hair was split into two colours down the middle. What was weirdest about the girl was her different coloured eyes, and that they changed when she blinked. Strutting towards him, the girl smiled sweetly from beneath the matching umbrella she carried. In any other place in Vale, Cole might have overlooked this girl, but her being in the docks gave the impression she wasn't friendly. This impression was half-confirmed when she beckoned Cole to follow with a single finger. After enticing Cole to follow, the girl twirled on the spot and began to run in the opposite direction to the Conduit.

Her behaviour reeked of a trap having been set, but the ice cream girl was Cole's best lead to find Roman. Jogging after the girl, Cole soon saw her round a corner into a warehouse. This put Cole on high alert, edging to the entrance of the warehouse to peer in. Inside sat the strange girl on a crate, twirling her open umbrella in her hands. Pacing slowly into the warehouse, Cole studied the interior cautiously, feeling the eyes staring at him from the darkness. Soon another figure stepped into the light, dressed in a white suit and brown trousers, topped with a bowler hat over his orange hair and a metal cane in his right hand. Cole had found the man Junior had told him about, but what he didn't expect was for Roman to know who he was, let alone use one of his nicknames.

"Welcome, Electric Man! Welcome to my humble home." Roman greeted Cole, who was not amused by Roman's attitude. Neo was quickly patted on the head kindly by Roman, the girl then leaving. "Such a good girl, isn't she?"

Cole was in no mood to play games with Roman. "Sure. You're Roman, right?"

"The one and only." The crime boss admitted, strolling back and forth while spinning his cane on his arm. "Normally I wouldn't show myself like this but… my employer has an offer for you." Suspecting who the employer was, Cole let Roman continue. "Her offer is simple, join us."

"That is putting it poorly, Roman." Echoed a seductive voice from the catwalk above. Both men below squinted at the darkness above, making out the frame of a woman in a red dress. The urge for Cole to spring up at this woman was intense, but John was holding Cole back with reason.

" **Wait, measure her strength. Remember she has some of my power and Nix's.** "

"You're right. But she is _here_ , we could deal with her tonight." Cole muttered to his mental companion.

" **And we will, if we can.** " John agreed.

"I've seen who you are, what you've done, Demon of Empire City." Addressed the woman in red, her gaze almost lustful, but not in the sexual kind.

"Why don't we quit fucking around and get to the point." Cole interrupted with a little more anger than he wanted to let out. "What makes you think I'll join you?"

Cinder was prepared to answer such a question. "As I said, I have seen what you've done in my dreams ever since I took some of your power. This world will soon collapse under its own ignorance, and the powerful will rise from the rubble. My benefactor and I wish for you to join us, teach us this power you possess, and then rebuild Remnant and rule it."

Cinder was proud with her answer, awaiting a look of agreement from Cole. Yet all she got was laughter. "Heh, hahaha. Oh, you are disappointing." The insult made Cinder scowl, how dare he mock her? She made to speak more harshly, but Cole wasn't finished. "If you knew me, then you'd know I don't give two shits about ruling the world. So tell me, Miss?"

"Cinder." Snapped the woman, irritated that Cole had shot down her offer so quickly.

"Alright, Cinder. This is what you're going to do. You're going to stay there looking all pretty, I'm going to come up there and take back my powers. Then you'll leave and never mess with me again."

Cinder smirked. "Your powers? They didn't even belong to you in the first place. I will use them for a far greater cause than educating children."

"Oh really? And how long will it be until those powers kill you?" The statement made Cinder recoil a little. "You didn't know? Aura and my powers don't mix so… you can guess how long you've got left."

Cinder snarled, not able to stand being mocked by Cole. "Fine. If you are so adamant on denying my offer and mocking me, then I will break you and remove one thorn in my side." A snap of the fingers made Roman spring into action, firing a flare from his cane at Cole. Dodging the attack caused more issues for Cole, as the flare hit a large canister, rupturing the metal. Out of the rupture spewed a deep blue powdered Dust, spilling all over the floor at Cole's feet. Cole stared wide-eyed at the Dust, recognising the element it held.

"Arrogance, the greatest weakness of a powerful man. I will shatter your mind and body, take away all you have. Then we will see what you think of my offer." Cinder gestured upwards with her right hand, the Dust reacting to her command. Reverse waterfalls surrounded Cole, trapping the Conduit within his greatest weakness. Then Cinder let her hand drop, the water crashing down on Cole. Pained screaming echoed in the warehouse. As the water washed away from Cole, he remained barely standing. The water had short-circuited his body, like he had just gone waist-deep into a river or the sea, electricity sparking wildly off of Cole. Although Cole had survived the drenching, he was not prepared to defend himself as Mercury ran out of the shadows and launching a vicious upwards kick to Cole's head. Cole flew across the warehouse, losing consciousness long before his body hit concrete.

* * *

 **I'd say nothing bad could possibly happen in this arc, but I have a fair few bad outcomes depending on the karmic choices I'm going to add to the ends of certain chapters. Also I felt this chapter wasn't my best, just had a lot on my mind which distracted me.**

 **On another note, I require your help for my Jak & Daxter crossover. I need a final character to fill out a Beacon team, but I have no ideas. So if any of you are willing to send me your own original character profiles by private message, I'll read them and use one as the 4th member. Only thing that has to be is the name has to fit 'W' somewhere in it to fit the team name. Otherwise the rest is free to pick how you like.**

 **Please review as I love your feedback.**

 **Wardtortle, out!**


	13. Karma's A Bitch

**Ladies, Gentlemen and Others of the Internet.**

 **I am back in business!**

 **It took me a while but now I'm in a better mood and my creativity is back.**

 **As a price for spending so long, I bring you an extended chapter 13. The Jak and Daxter Crossover will come out later this week, and at the end of that I will announce the winner of the OC submission (which is not an easy decision.)**

 **Aside from all the words of support which I am grateful for, there is one review to reply to:**

 **Volthoom: The Beast from Kessler's timeline is still John White, but with a different view of the world. If you listen to select dead drops, John mentions how Kessler knew it was him. I shall quote *clears throat***

 _John: I was carrying the Ray Sphere out of the lab when Kessler stopped me. It was... strange. He said I had an important destiny, that I'd accomplish great things._

 _Wolfe: I used to be a skeptic, but many of his predictions actually do come true._

 _John: I don't know... the way he looked at me... Made me want him to be wrong._

 **Alden could not be the Beast because that was not his power. The only reason Kessler didn't kill John early is that he knew he couldn't, he would only speed up the process of the Beast's awakening.**

 **Without further ado, see you at the end of the chapter!**

* * *

 **Cole's Mind:**

" **MacGrath!** " Yelled John, stirring the immobile Conduit. Pushing up off the non-existent floor, Cole steadied himself in the void, eventually fixing his gaze on a worried John White.

"Ugh. Am I dead?" Groaned Cole, clutching his aching head. "Honestly, I feel like I am."

" **Quit complaining Cole, we're in big trouble and we need a plan.** " John's tone flickered between worried and angry. Naturally he would be concerned with Cole's life since they were tied together. Although John had died many a time already, the idea of fading out of existence still frightened him. " **You spent two weeks training and fell for such a blatant trap** "

"No shit it was a trap, John." Cole snapped at his friend, clenching his fists. After a short silence, the fists were opened and Cole sighed. "I… didn't expect her to know my weakness to water. I got caught off guard."

John agreed with Cole, returning to his calm nature. " **Mistakes are something we make all too often. Let's relocate and think things over.** " While John was speaking, everything shifted to Beacon's courtyard, instilling calm within Cole. Both men dropped onto the nearest bench, slouching and enjoying the fake atmosphere. With the sensation of a warm breeze washing over both Conduit's, they set to work.

"So what do we know?" Cole started. "Cinder has Nix's powers and some of yours. Plus she knows my weakness to water. She doesn't know about you… as far as we can tell."

John nodded, adding to their list. " **We also know she doesn't want to kill you. But with Amber and Glynda on their way to the docks, Cinder will have to move you, or beat them both.** " The situation was tricky, neither of them knowing what Cinder was doing right now, and what progress Cole's fellow staff had made. Cole frowned slightly, bringing a hand up to his chin in thought. With Cole in thought, John continued. " **I believe it best to escape and fight another day.** "

"But the risks of letting Cinder go-" Cole protested while remaining in his thinking pose, cut short by John.

" **Are high, I know. You need to remember she has little to no control of her powers from what she asked of you.** " That should have given Cole some comfort, but did the opposite.

"That's what worries me. An out of control Beast is worse than an educated one." John nodded in agreement, seeing Cole's logic.

" **I understand that Cole but… leaving her to destroy herself might be the best option.** "

"Not while she's still in Vale. I don't want another repeat of Empire." Cole was openly uncomfortable with the idea of Vale turning into another Empire City. Repeating a past mistake was the worst thing Cole could do in his eyes.

John sympathised, Empire City being his fault. Therefore he proposed a vague option. " **Then we force her out and keep her out. She cannot hide her identity and her lackeys are known too.** "

"How do we get her out of Vale without destroying the city though?" Asked Cole.

" **I don't know… maybe she'll retreat once things don't go her way. The woman is smart, and not only your own intelligence matters in battle.** "

"Too right. Though I'm not going to be doing any battling while unconscious."

" **My best guess would be that you'll be unconscious for an hour or so.** " Cole frowned, one hour was too long. Amber and Glynda would arrive at the docks soon, and Cinder was waiting for them with her forces. What could he do? Cinder wasn't going to let Cole sit unconscious in the warehouse, meaning that he was already being moved somewhere. If he was out of Vale before he woke up, Amber and Glynda might meet the same fate as him, or worse. Cole screamed in frustration, launching up from the imaginary bench and pacing along his mental construction of Beacon's courtyard. Following calmly, John eventually stopped Cole's pacing with a hand on his shoulder.

" **I do have a solution, Cole.** " John revealed, making Cole spin round hastily.

"Well spill, we don't have much time!" Cole snapped, his concern growing more and more visible.

" **I could amplify your healing ability temporarily, shortening the time until you wake up.** " Offered John, confident in his abilities.

Cole knew there was always a 'but' with plans like this. "The catch?"

John shrugged slightly. " **Most likely you'll be on your own while I recover. I don't know how long that will be but… you can manage by yourself, right?** "

"Do you know who you're talking to, John?" Joked Cole, "I'll be good so long as I've not been dumped in a bath."

John smirked, his eyes beginning to flare up. " **Then I have work to do. Good luck, MacGrath.** " Fiery smoke replaced John, forming into a countdown that started at fifteen minutes. Comfort came to Cole in knowing that he'd be back in the fight soon. Cracking his knuckles and loosening his limbs pointlessly, Cole waited with adrenaline beginning to seep into his system. Soon, The Beast would break free.

* * *

 **Vale Docks – 5 minutes later:**

Light clicking of heels echoed between the shipping containers as Amber and Glynda stalked their way into the docks. Unable to contact Cole and with the heightened level of activity going on so late at night in the docks, both women came prepared, fearing the worst. Cole was not someone who would go silent during something so crucial. Stealth wasn't exactly his specialty either. This led both women to conclude that something had gone wrong, but neither labelled Cole as dead. There can be worse fates than death however, and Amber knew what. If the woman in red was involved, she feared for Cole. That fear grew as she rounded a corner, quickly backing up to hide behind it.

White Fang patrolled the area before a warehouse, but that was not the most shocking thing Amber saw. Among the White Fang were two familiar youths, a boy dressed in grey, and a tanned girl in green and brown. The last fight between her and the teens surfaced to her mind, both holding her up as the woman in red put on the white glove. Amber quickly felt a hand on her shoulder, which made her jump. Behind her stood Glynda, concern and determination written on her face. Realising her breathing had increased, Amber took deep breaths as Glynda whispered to the Maiden.

"Are you alright, Amber?" The Fall Maiden shook her head, peering round the corner as she answered.

"No. Those two teens were of the three that attacked me." Glynda peered round the corner, observing the teens chatting casually, the mint green haired girl visibly irritated by her partner.

"Meaning the third may be nearby?" Amber nodded slightly, not once averting her gaze from the teens. "And the White Fang too, this is troubling. We must contact Ozpin." Glynda reached for her Scroll, stopped only by the loud gasp Amber let out involuntarily. Glancing round the corner again, a feared sight greeted Glynda. Suspended by two White Fang grunts, was Cole, feet dragging as they hefted his unconscious form out of the warehouse. Rather than resort to a call, Glynda hit the distress command on her Scroll, leaving it to silently contact nearby authorities and Ozpin. Returning her attention to the warehouse, both Roman Torchwick and Cinder strolled out of the building, the woman creepily caressing the unconscious Cole's face before pointing to the nearest Bullhead.

Amber's gaze followed Cinder, forcing Glynda to tap her shoulder. "Amber. I've sent a distress call, but we need to prevent these terrorists from taking Cole."

"R-right." Replied Amber, fear lacing her voice. "But… how? They have a large number of troops and those two aren't pushovers."

"As much as I hate to say it; we'll have to improvise. Time is not a luxury we have right now." Following this, both women inched forward, using crates and containers for cover. Eventually they came within earshot of the grunts and the teens.

"Jeez this bastards heavy." Complained a grunt, struggling to move Cole.

"Then ditch his oversized cattle-prod and get moving!" Barked the grey garbed teen, tapping a foot impatiently with his arms crossed.

"Cinder wants everything taken, Mercury." Lectured the girl to the grey teen, Mercury.

"Spare me the ass-kissing, Emerald." Retorted Mercury, provoking a growl from Emerald. "You can just steal a new one from some dumb farmer if this idiot needs one." Mercury then yanked the Amp off Cole's back, twirling it in his hands. Emerald reached to grab the weapon, but Mercury decided to twist the metaphorical knife more. In one movement, Mercury had thrown the Amp up, spun a full three-sixty degrees on his left foot, smashing his right into Cole's weapon. The desired effect of sending it clattering along the ground ending up amplifying, Cole's trademark tool shattering into three as the prongs separated from the handle. Without a care about what he had just done, and Emerald's angry glare, Mercury raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Woops." Remarked Mercury sarcastically, walking away with his hands still raised. Karma then arrived to kick Mercury's ass. A brief, unnoticeable breeze rapidly developed into a full on blast of wind, driving Mercury into the outer wall of the warehouse. Weapons were drawn as the source of the wind marched upon the White Fang. Amber reversed her staff, blasting fire at any and every White Fang member in her way, scorching at path towards Emerald and Mercury. Gunfire rattled at the Maiden, batted away by a hand or a large sweep of wind. The grunts carrying Cole began to up their pacing, scared of being incinerated. Neither grunts got very far as they were levitated by an equally furious Glynda, their bodies cracking against concrete when slammed back down. Cole was almost in reach, when a grey projectile and a few rounds peppered the paths of Amber and Glynda to Cole.

Emerald and Mercury resurfaced from avoiding Amber's attack and recovering from it respectively, Mercury cracking his joints.

"Seems we can get three-in-one here." Said Mercury, hopping on the toes of his feet before readying into a combat stance.

"Let's just stall them until Electric Man is stashed away. That bitch was bad enough last time." Commented Emerald, pointing at Amber with one of her guns. A small standoff erupted into vicious combat. The older women unleashed ice shards at the criminals, forcing the two to split in separate directions and circle round their opponents. Mercury reached his target first, jumping up into an axe kick which Amber blocked with her staff. Using the staff as a springboard, Mercury flipped over Amber to launch his right foot into her back. Stumbling forward, Amber retaliated with a sweeping blade of flame. A few hairs singed as Mercury dropped low, pushing forward to counter with kicks directed at Amber's legs. Hopping over a sweeping leg, Amber planted a golden boot into Mercury's face, following up with a concentrated gust of wind that sent the assassin smashing into a small stack of crates.

Across the concrete, Emerald struggled to get in range of Glynda, moving from cover to cover as Glynda hurled multiple elements and concrete at her. The repetitive barrage of Dust attacks stopped when Glynda suddenly lost sight of Emerald, the girl seemingly vanishing into nothing. Glynda's grip on her riding crop tightened as she scanned her surroundings, zero trace of Emerald anywhere. During her scan, she watched Amber send Mercury flying. Confidence built in Beacon's deputy-headmistress, confidence that was well placed when Emerald appeared from nothing behind her. Twin scythes struck at Glynda's location, cutting only air. An unseen force hit Emerald like a truck, taking a noticeable chunk out of her strength as she hit the warehouse wall, cracking it slightly.

"Surrender and give us Cole. Then I may be inclined to stop beating you down." Ordered Glynda, her crop aimed at the downed Emerald. At the same time, Mercury crawled from the rubble of crates, standing up with a smirk.

"No can do lady. Our boss scares us way more than you do. And we've already bought enough time." Both Amber and Glynda turned rapidly to where they last saw Cole. A little distance on, the White Fang had dragged him into the nearest Bullhead, closing the door behind them. Engines started loudly, drowning out Amber's screams as she bolted towards the Bullhead. Not much distance was made as Mercury cut her off with a brutal two-footed kick to her side.

"Amber!" Shouted a concerned Glynda, who stopped immediately when everyone vanished from her sight. "What?!" Panic set in as Glynda tried to get her bearings, but the sudden disappearance of both Amber and Mercury confused her greatly. For a brief moment the two flickered into view, duelling with heavy hits to each other. During this brief moment, Emerald struck. A sharp pain raked down Glynda's back as both of Emerald's scythes sliced her. Although the blow did no, the now dulling pain and impact managed to make Glynda stumble forward. Emerald capitalised on her new advantage by sweeping out Glynda's legs and slamming her to the ground.

The Bullhead carrying Cole began to lift off, and with it Emerald and Mercury began to retreat. This was a huge mistake. Harsh winds formed, battering the Bullhead as it fought to take off. On the ground, the source of the winds stood tall, her eyes burning with the Fall Maiden's power. Amber's control over the wind was not enough, the Bullhead rising gradually out of her reach. Determined to bring down the Bullhead at all costs, Amber rose into the air with an arm held high. Once in range, the arm dropped, replaced by a storm that scorched the top of the Bullhead. Random bolts of lightning struck over the metal plating, leaving only burns. Desperate, Amber extended the area of her storm, encompassing the VTOL. This move allowed a stray bolt to strike the left engine of the Bullhead, pitching the aircraft into sideward dive. Ultimately the aircraft crashed on the far side of the warehouse.

* * *

 **Crashed Bullhead:**

Cole's head was already ringing from coming to, the fire, smoke and heat he awoke to did nothing to help. On top of that, his body ached. These problems would be short-lived if could find some electricity sources. To find those he needed to get out of the wreck.

" _Now I know how Bertrand felt."_ Thought Cole as he wriggled his body through the crumpled Bullhead. Metal scraped against his skin, shallows cuts being made through his trousers, but his courier jacket only getting small tears. With great effort, the Conduit heaved his body up to the forced open hatch at the Bullhead's rear. Propping an arm out of the Bullhead, Cole pulled himself into the fresh sea air of the docks. The cool sensation lasted very little time as Cole plummeted off the back end of the wreck onto the concrete a metre below. A groan of pain escaped him as his body impacted with the ground. Lying there for a brief while, Cole breathed heavily as his body began to fix itself faster than a normal man. Senses returned one by one, gunfire, explosions and howling winds reaching Cole's ears over the crackling fire of the wreck. Fighting meant that Amber and Glynda were at the docks, which explained why the Bullhead he woke up in had crashed. But who was piloting it?

Rising slowly to his feet, Cole stumbled around a little before taking injured steps to the opposite end of the Bullhead. In the cockpit suffered a White Fang grunt, the mask he wore giving away his identity. Unlike Cole, he'd be a goner in minutes, deep cuts and punctures all over his body from crashing front first. Rather than let the man suffer, Cole combined his returning compassion with survival instinct. Reaching through the broken glass, a hand clasped over the grunt's face. The man shuddered and struggled as he felt his life draining from him, eventually ceasing to live as Cole absorbed the energy from within him. This energy fuelled Cole's Conduit functions, kick-starting his healing factor into overdrive while refilling a meagre portion of his electricity reserves. Despite how miniscule the drain was, it was enough. Cole made his way to a nearby floodlight with ease, his body now behaving as it should. Instead of making contact, the electricity began to drain from the floodlight before Cole had touched the metal, not stopping until the light vanished.

Reinvigorated, Cole stretched out the final aches in his body as seven electrical signatures triggered his Radar Sense. From out of a warehouse in the distance, six White Fang members approached, flanking a masked man in a suit. The leading man had crimson hair with small horns protruding at the front. In his left hand he held what Cole could only guess was a sheath and a sword. From the man's body language, Cole could tell that the man didn't like him.

"What are you?" Asked the White Fang Leader aggressively, the grip on his sheath tight.

"I believe the correct question is: who are you?" Responded Cole mockingly.

The White Fang Leader growled slightly, "I know who you are, human. So I ask again, _what_ are you? No normal human scum can walk away from that…" He pointed his sheathed sword at the wreck. "… Unharmed."

"Guess I'm lucky." Replied Cole casually, making the man scowl. "But _who_ , are you?"

"Adam Taurus." Answered the now revealed Adam angrily.

Cole grinned, provoking Adam to get more answers. "Oh? A terrorist leader? Working for Cinder?"

"The White Fang are no terrorists! A terrorist is just a word you humans use to label revolutionaries badly."

"Sure." Retorted Cole sarcastically. "I know a terrorist when I see one. I mean, how the fuck do you think violence will achieve equality?"

All the grunts flanking Adam grew agitated, raising their machine guns at Cole, only for Adam to wave them off with his free arm.

"There will be no equality until humanity has experienced the same hardship as the Faunus." Adam said devoutly, sticking strong with his beliefs. "Cinder will break humanity with its own arrogance, and the White Fang shall kick them to the dirt until they know their place!"

Now Cole took an aggressive stance, arguing back. "Just listen to yourself! All you are doing is reversing the situation! What will stop humanity from creating their own version of the White Fang and starting this all over again?"

"The White Fang will-" A massive explosion from the other side of the warehouse Cole had been ambushed in interrupted Adam. "Go aid whoever is fighting over there. I will deal with this human." The six men who accompanied Adam nodded, turning and jogging quickly off to the source of the explosion. Free of distractions, Adam continued. "The White Fang will do what humanity cannot, stomp out all resistance."

"That is oppression. Exactly what you claim that humans are doing to the Faunus." Cole stated, clenching his fists in anger. "Humans and Faunus can co-exist peacefully, but you are driving a wedge between them!"

"ENOUGH!" Yelled Adam, his free hand reaching for his sword with his body shifting into a low stance. "Humanity will never change except through violence! And you will be one of the sparks for the Faunus' ascension! The head of a teacher of a corrupt system will be clear message, I don't care if Cinder wants you alive!" With that final statement, Adam launched forward, striking with his sword as soon as he got in range.

* * *

 **With Amber and Glynda, Minutes Earlier:**

Raw hate. Unbridled fury. Unleashed power. All of these set free and directed at Mercury and Emerald. Neither could escape as all the elements denied their retreat, as if separate, living entities themselves. But the truth was far worse. Amber hovered above the carnage, intent on obliterating Cinder's minions with no restraint. Deep brown eyes burned golden as the potential of the Fall Maiden poured from every inch of her. Wind encircled her and shielded her in a violent tornado, rain converting to ice that bombarded the area. Lightning tore and scorched the concrete below, the concrete then moving to intercept the criminals. Last but most prominent, was fire, spewing from Amber's hands intensely, indiscriminately scorching anything and everything. The fact that Mercury and Emerald were still relatively unscathed was a miracle that only infuriated Amber more.

To the side of the carnage, Glynda shielded herself with a glyph, horrified at the sheer force of Amber's assault. It tore the older woman emotionally to not get involved, her better instinct of survival outweighing the want to calm Amber down. Watching the woman who was respected for her compassionate nature unleash her full power terrified her. It was nothing like the description of Maidens that Ozpin had given her years ago.

* * *

 **15 Years Ago:**

Glynda sat awkwardly in a chair, her hands resting on her lap before Professor Ozpin, only the ever present ticking of clockwork making any noise. Ozpin sipped on his coffee, then set down his mug and broke the silence.

"May I ask you a question, Ms Goodwitch?"

"O-of course, sir." Stammered Glynda nervously.

"What do you know of The Old Man and the Seasons?" Asked Ozpin casually.

Glynda blinked a few times at the odd question. "The fairytale?"

"Yes, the fairytale." Confirmed Ozpin, taking another sip of coffee.

"Well… the tale describes of a callous old man, who through the help of four sisters, sees the value in all that he has and the life around him. So as a gift to the sisters, he grants them great magical power to aid in their compassionate work." Ozpin narrowed his eyes a little, then smiled.

"That is a very brief explanation of the tale. But as you know, all legends spawn from an element of truth."

Glynda tilted her head slightly, pondering the Headmaster's words. "Are you saying that something similar happened, minus the magic of course."

Ozpin leaned forward to rest his arms on his desk, hands clasped together. "Would you believe me if I told you that the entire legend is true? Every small detail, even magic."

Pausing to mull over what the Headmaster just said, Glynda then laughed. "You're pulling my leg, Professor! Magic doesn't…" Glynda trailed off as she saw the extremely serious expression of Ozpin's face. "…exist. You're not joking."

"Indeed, I am not joking." Ozpin said calmly. "You have trained for four years to become a Huntress, but there is far more than Grimm that threatens this world. Some would even seek the power of the Maidens' if they knew of their existence."

"I… don't understand. What is it you want from me, Professor?" Glynda asked, confused and a little scared.

"What I ask, Ms Goodwitch. Is that you aid me in protecting the world, and the Maidens." Offered Ozpin, standing up and walking round to where Glynda sat. "We are lucky that the Maidens are inherently compassionate. They are truly kind souls who do their best for everyone." Glynda stared up at Beacon's Headmaster, unsure what to do.

Ozpin extended a hand to help Glynda up out of her seat. "Perhaps it would be best to show you. I have recently found the latest Fall Maiden, and the young lady is being brought here to have what I just told you explained to her."

Glynda paused, then took Ozpin's helping hand with a slight blush. "If you have so much faith in me, Professor. Then I will help you."

Ozpin smiled warmly at Glynda's agreement. "Very good, Glynda. Now let's go, we must not keep the young girl waiting."

* * *

 **Vale Docks – Present Day:**

The girl Glynda had met that day was everything Ozpin had told her. A bright, youthful smile that all innocent children possessed. Even after Amber had been told of her responsibility, she smiled and laughed like nothing had ever changed. Looking at Amber now, her rage was not one of raw hatred like most would see it, but out of care for those close to her. And no-one was closer to her than Cole. Everything came to a head when Mercury and Emerald grouped together, only to gaze up directly at a brilliant orb of flame forming above Amber. The Fall Maiden was at her peak power, she could feel her soul fighting to build up one last attack. She would do anything to save Cole, the one man who she cared for more than anything. Then the ball of fire was released, raining down on the criminals who stood between her and Cole. Deafening and blinding, the explosion knocked Amber out of her flight. As she fell, her conscious slipped, the last image of a suited woman running to catch her triggering an old memory.

* * *

 **15 Years Ago:**

A castle stood before the young Amber, illuminated in the warm sun as she disembarked the airship. In the distance loomed an amazing tower, a strange green glow near its peak. Although Amber could gawk at her surroundings for ages, her guide ushered her on.

"Come on kiddo, I'll give you a tour later." Amber looked up to her guide, a man in his early thirties with a grey shirt and red cape. His dark hair was slicked back and his eyes matched his cape.

"Really?! Thanks mister!" Amber hugged the man tightly, her arms only just level with his waist. With a smile, the man ruffled her hair a little and took her hand, walking down the large pathway to the 'castle'. As they approached the main entrance, an even taller man dressed in green and a woman not much shorter than him stood in their way, smiling warmly. The green-garbed man walked a little distance forward, meeting the two halfway.

Upon meeting, the man crouched down and extended a hand to Amber. "Good morning, Amber. I am Professor Ozpin, and this is my school."

Amber shook his hand with both of hers. "Morning, Mister Ozpin. You're really tall!" Ozpin let out a small chuckle before standing up.

"That I am." Ozpin turned to Amber's guide, giving a nod of appreciation. "Thank you for taking care of her Qrow. You can go. I heard from Summer that she'll be expecting soon." Qrow laughed a little.

"Yeah. I don't know how Tai has managed to care for her and Yang at the same time." Qrow turned his attention to Amber. "I'll see you later kiddo. Give you the full tour."

"Bye Mister Bird Man." Amber said innocently, making Ozpin and Qrow laugh. With Qrow gone, Amber noticed the lady behind Ozpin properly.

"Mister Ozpin." Ozpin turned to look down at the young Maiden. "Who's the pretty lady in the doorway?" Glynda blushed slightly, not used to being openly described as pretty, most boys having steered clear of her to avoid annoying her.

"The lady is Glynda, my assistant. She has just started so she's a little nervous." Ozpin explained, the last part being half-true. Amber heard what Ozpin had said, instantly running up to Glynda and stopping in front of her with a little hop.

With a hand extended, Amber greeted Glynda. "Hello Miss Glynda, you're really tall as well!" Glynda took Amber's hand gently and shook it similarly.

"It's lovely to meet you Amber. You're very kind." Greeted Glynda with a smile that Amber mimicked.

"As I have told you, Glynda." Interrupted Ozpin. "Amber is a very kind soul. A truly special person."

Amber picked up on Ozpin's words. "Mister Bird Man told me I was special as well. What do you mean?"

Ozpin smiled as his eyes met the young Fall Maiden's. "In time, Amber. But first: do you like fairytales?"

* * *

 **Vale Docks – Present Day:**

"Amber!" A familiar voice stirred Amber back to reality, accompanied by soft shaking.

Amber cradled her head in one hand as she sat up. "Ugh. Did I get them?"

One observant glance around later, Glynda shook her head. "No sign of them. And I doubt you vaporised them so… they escaped." Amber pushed up off the ground, her body aching but her mental drive forcing her onwards. Now the docks smouldered, concrete jutting out randomly and crates now piles of ash. Fresh sea air swept the smoke away, allowing some clean air to fill the two women's lungs. Off in the distance emergency service sirens echoed, while the faint crackle of lightning sounded from the other side of the warehouse. The lightning meant Cole was awake and fighting, spurring Amber to make slow progress towards him with Glynda's help.

"Cole will be alright Amber." Assured Glynda as she supported Amber's steps. "You need to take things slowly right now. The police will also be here soon."

"I just want this night to be over. And Cole to be safe." Amber said with a groan of effort.

"So do I, Amber. But you just used power that… terrified me." Amber glanced to Glynda, who was shaking a little. Feeling entirely responsible for Glynda's fear, Amber stopped walking, dragging the older woman into a hug.

"I'm sorry, Glynda. I've let myself get so protective of Cole after seeing what he's been through, that I lost control of my emotions."

Accepting the embrace, Glynda comforted Amber. "It's alright. I'm not harmed, and deep down you will always be the kind-spirited girl I met all those years ago."

As the women separated, their touching moment shattered as gunfire sprayed around them. Six White Fang members advanced with machine guns raised, firing at the women who were now ducking for cover, using any and every little piece of concrete big enough to hide themselves behind.

"I'm guessing all the sappy heart-to-hearts will have to happen later." Yelled Amber over the gunfire.

Glynda nodded, standing up and summoning a protective glyph. "Naturally, we have to do our jobs." Both women smiled as they sprang into action.

* * *

 **With Cole:**

From the first strike, Adam was relentless. Cole barely had enough time to raise a Polarity Wall to intercept Wilt. What Cole was thankful for was that Adam wasn't as fast as Ozpin with his strikes. Every millisecond extra that Cole had allowed his to shift his electrical defence to the right angle. Adam sidestepped, vaulted, hacked and stabbed, trying to find openings in Cole's guard. This proved fruitless, as Cole's reaction speed and near weightless shield compensated for his lack of proper close quarter combat. Without the Amp, Cole had no physical weapon to trade blows with Adam's sword. And even though he could fight with a Gigawatt Blade, he didn't fancy his chances of skin versus steel. Buckshot peppered Cole's Polarity Wall, the rounds charging the Conduit ever so slightly.

' _This is pointless!'_ Complained Cole in his mind. _'I don't know how I managed to almost best the other staff, and now I can't beat one guy!'_ How had he beaten the others? Sheer power? Sure he had a lot of strength but that would have gotten him nowhere if they had seen it coming. Wait… That's right, Adam knew nothing about Cole's abilities apart from his Polarity Wall. This meant Cole didn't need to wait for an opening, he could make one.

Cole started simple, using his enemy's strengths against him. And what greater strength did a Faunus have than their heightened senses. A quick step back made Adam overextend his thrust, Wilt shaving across Cole's defence. With both men extremely close and Adam off balance, Cole dropped his Polarity Wall and brought two hands next to Adam's right ear in a loud thunderclap. Instant and painful, Adam dropped Wilt to clutch at his ear, screaming out in pain. With a temporarily incapacitated foe, Cole pressed his attack with an electrically charged knee into Adam's gut. Adam stumbled back with a hand over his ear and covering his gut with Blush, only to receive an electric jab to the face. Recoiling with a snarl, Adam fired Blush half-blindly at Cole, some of the buckshot catching Cole's shoulder.

Both men stumbled back a little more, Cole shrugging off the injury quickly while Adam finally recovered his sense of hearing. Staring at each other with hateful glares, the men paced slowly in a circle, eyes locked.

"You may be human scum. But I can appreciate an opponent who can think on his feet." Complimented Adam, hate still lacing his voice.

"You're no slacker either," Cole returned the compliment. "I've never had to defend for that long before."

Behind his mask, Adam's eyes drifted down to Wilt, which sat between himself and Cole. The Conduit's gaze also noticed the crimson sword, and he knew he couldn't let Adam get hold of it easily. Adam bolted towards Wilt, aiming to dive and roll before he reached the blade. But his opponent was one step ahead, as a rope of electricity snapped the blade off the group and flung it into the hands of Cole. Wilt was extremely light in Cole's hands, not feeling right to him but quite clearly showing how Adam could attack so swiftly. Rolling out of the way of some buckshot, Cole slashed clumsily at Adam, who used Blush to block the sword. Although the block was effective, Wilt had cut a considerable gash in its own sheath.

Wrenching free of the deadlock, Adam set some distance between the two of them before straightening up. "If you actually knew how to handle a sword, your strength would worry me."

"You haven't seen any of my real strength yet, buddy." Retorted Cole, readying Wilt in a two-handed grip level with his head. After another brief pause, the men rushed each other, Adam stopping short to fire a shot at Cole. The tactic was similar to the Ice Men, so Cole just raised a Polarity Wall to sponge the shot, following with a slash at Adam. Attack after attack pressed Adam back, the experienced swordsman waiting for his chance. That chance came when Cole thrust Wilt at Adam, who intercepted the sword with its sheath. Spit spilled from Cole's mouth as a brutal jackboot from Adam ripped Wilt from his grip and sent him sprawling. A few ribs felt cracked, but it was nothing a little recharge couldn't fix. Another floodlight flickered out as Cole drained the whole thing, instantly feeling as good as new, despite the disturbing noise of ribs clicking back into place.

"You truly are a freak, human." Adam declared. "No foe that I've ever faced can heal broken ribs like that."

Cole smirked at Adam. "At least I accept my flaws, dirtbag. Makes me far better than you'll ever be."

Adam snarled his grip on Blush tightening. "The only thing you'll be is dead, now that I have Wilt back."

"Everybody dies. I'm just harder to put down than most." Boasted Cole as he raised his scarred right arm at Adam. "And I've got plenty more tricks up my sleeve."

A crackle followed by a loud boom echoed across the dockyard as a Magnum Bolt tore through the air at Adam. Cole was expecting the White Fang Leader to dodge or get floored, but he stood his ground and placed a partially drawn Wilt between himself and the lightning. Adam's crimson hair glowed brighter with his sword as Cole's lightning dissipated on the blade, forcing Cole to blink and reel back a little in shock.

"O… kay." Cole managed to say as Adam slowly returned Wilt to its fully sheathed form. Deep down, Cole was quite glad he taught an Aura class at Beacon as he analysed Adam's ability. _'Not a normal Aura technique, and it isn't just the sword so… that's his Semblance?'_ His only issue now was: what does Adam do with the stored energy?

"Have you finally realised that you are outmatched, human?" Taunted Adam proudly, taking a few paces closer to Cole. "If you kneel now, I might make your death quick."

Cole snorted, amused at Adam's speech. "You know, I really just want a voice recorder right now. You should _really_ hear yourself talk." Even with Adam wearing a mask over his eyes, Cole could tell the Faunus was trying to murder him with a glare. This sentiment was proven when Adam rushed at Cole, squeezing the trigger on Blush. The hilt of Wilt struck a hastily prepared Polarity Wall, Adam wasting no time in catching up to his sword and wielding it in a reverse grip. Mid-swing Adam changed his grip, delivering rapid slashes which Cole struggled to defend against. While desperate to hold his defence, Cole knew that he'd get nowhere just protecting himself. Doing something that most would regard as stupid, Cole blasted a rocket at Adam. The Faunus was ready for Cole though, ducking low and sweeping Cole off his feet. Cole fell hard against the concrete as his rocket flew wide, grunting in pain when his head met the ground. Adam capitalised on Cole's slip up, jumping to drive Wilt directly into Cole's chest. Steel met static once more as Cole strained against the drive of Wilt and Adam's weight behind it. A few small Alpha Bolts at Adam made little effect on the swordsman, who gritted his teeth through the shock.

"Why is it always the most resilient cockroaches that get in my way?" Growled Adam as he slashed at the downed Cole.

Cole could only chuckle. "Karma's a bitch, ain't it?" This only angered Adam more, his slashes becoming wild and angry. "Also, watch your back." Commented Cole with a grin.

"Don- AAGH!" An electrical explosion ripped into Adam's back, allowing Cole to shove the terrorist off him.

' _Thank God for Redirect Rockets'_ Praised Cole mentally as he got to his feet with heavy breaths. Although the Redirect Rocket had made a clean hit, Cole didn't believe Adam would been down for long. And Cole was right. With a smoking back, but not visibly damaged apart from a slightly singed jacket, Adam rose to his feet cautiously. Aura was a real pain to overcome, especially for someone who was used to dropping enemies quickly with his powers.

Once more the two men had a standoff, Cole catching his breath while Adam stretched his aching muscles. Apart from the wailing of sirens getting ever closer, Vale's dockyard was now silent. All the two needed was a tumbleweed to complete the image.

"Even though I'm on the side of the cops, I _really_ don't want them getting in the way." Cole said with determination. "So I'm just going to go all out and end this. Unless you give up now."

Adam shifted into a ready stance, Wilt slightly drawn from Blush. "Then bring your worst, human. So I can kill you and display your corpse for all to see!" Declared Adam with his usual hate.

Cole cracked his neck, his arms beginning to crackle with electricity. "Alright then."

For once, Cole had a fairly solid plan to deal with Adam, and limiting his movement was the first step. Opening with Cluster Grenades, Cole threw them with little care of accuracy, peppering everywhere around Adam. This forced Adam to dodge constantly and avoid being surrounded by the smaller explosives. Then Cole switched up his strategy. A grenade arced towards Adam, but before he could dodge, a bolt flew directly at him. Raising his weapons to absorb the bolt instinctively, Adam forgot about the grenade, which proceeded to shatter apart over Adam. Clusters exploded all around the Faunus, ripping into but not damaging his Aura too badly. A rumbling noise sounded throughout the sky, which confused Adam. There were no clouds above them, the night had been clear.

Suddenly a torrent of lightning struck from above. Adam dropped to a knee as he protected himself from the seemingly endless lightning with his Semblance. Ahead he could see Cole somehow summoning the lightning, straining to keep the devastating attack going. Adam truly believed that whoever broke first would lose. He wasn't wrong, since burning through his energy supply so quickly would leave Cole incredibly tired, especially since he had built a massive supply that he hadn't even fully recharged. Both men roared with effort as they pushed their abilities as far as they could.

Then they caved in. Cole dropped his arms and dropped to his knees as he heaved for air. Adam collapsed with his hair flaring brighter than ever. Wilt and Blush clattered against the concrete, silence now reigning over Vale's dockyard once more. A red and black glow surrounding Adam shattered, signifying the depletion of his Aura. Defeated, that was how Adam felt, and how he was in the eyes of Cole.

"Freak… doesn't cut it. You're… a monster." Muttered Adam weakly, the words barely reaching Cole's ears.

Looking at his foe, Cole countered Adam's accusation. "I was a monster. Worse than any man, woman or Grimm. But that changed when I came here. I was given a chance to redeem myself and I took it."

Adam sneered at Cole's comment, "If you believe that I will change, then you're deluded. Humans will always see Faunus as second-rate, unless the Faunus rise up in revolution."

Cole got to his feet, walking slowly to the nearest electricity source and draining it slowly. "Only the leaders of the White Fang are truly deluded. You drag the reputation of your own kind through the dirt to complete your 'revolution'. As long as the White Fang continues like this, the Faunus won't ever get close to equality." As Cole finished his speech, he was stood tall above the Aura-less Adam.

"Spare me your fantastical lectures." Spat Adam, leaning over to grip his weapons once more. "Either kill me now, or leave me for the authorities. But know that if you let me live, I will hunt down _everyone_ you love."

Cole sighed loudly, turning away from Adam and taking a few paces away. "Another choice."

" _ **Seems like I missed the party.**_ _"_ Came a welcome voice in Cole's mind.

' _Sure did, John.'_ Replied Cole with little energy. _'Mind helping me out here?'_

" _ **Hmm, leaving him to the authorities would be the right thing to do.**_ _"_ Reasoned John.

Cole nodded in agreement. _'Yeah… but Adam isn't a guy who makes empty threats. And if he works for Cinder… well, I doubt he'd be locked up long.'_

" _ **But killing him would be like an execution. He'd become a martyr to the White Fang.**_ _"_ John argued the other side.

' _His death would also greatly weaken the White Fang and Cinder. In the long run it helps us beat her. A little bad publicity never stopped me from doing right in Empire.'_ Countered Cole with equal logic.

Cole was torn to choose again: The safe and easy option, which would prevent any vendetta. Or the riskier and morally correct route, saving Cole from slipping back into old habits.

Both had their pros and cons, but both Conduits could agree on one thing.

Karma's a bitch.

* * *

 **And that is a wrap for chapter 13! Big choice coming up, and guess what? You get to decide! Poll is up on my profile so feel free to vote.**

 **As I said before, Jak and Daxter will arrive a little later this week.**

 **Finally, thank you so much for your patience and support! 120 Followers! 84 Favourites! 13,751 Views! 66 Reviews! (As of chapter release)**

 **I'll continue to work hard to entertain you guys!**

 **Until next time, Wardtortle, out!**


	14. Consequences

**Hey all!**

 **Sorry this took a little while. I had to wait for the poll to build up, and I also have 2 new fics on the go (check em out if you want).**

 **Reviews:**

 **Quite a mix in terms of votes, good reasoning for both sides, but I'm not gonna say anything cause that spoils it.**

 **ShadowProclamation8: Feel free to write your own version with Delsin buddy, I'd love to have a read of that and I already have 2 new fics on the go.**

 **Dog: Cole's resiliency is pretty good, but I am sort of breaking my personal rule of sticking close to the facts so that I don't make Cole straight up broken. Makes for tense action if the protagonist can be beaten.**

 **A few other notes!**

 **A few crazy stats: 85 reviews! 141 Followers! 16,035 Views! and 100 FAVOURITES! Thank you guys so much for supporting me to breach this milestone. I'll work hard to keep you all entertained.**

 **Finally, I mentioned in my review comment to Dog about personal rules, little rules I make myself when writing that dictate my storylines and what happens to my characters. Well... lets just say that one of those rules was not fulfilled by your reviews, so... you'll probably be able to tell what the consequence is as you read. I do tend to be a little evil with story ideas from time to time. Enjoy (muahaha!).**

 **Also just a heads up, the end of this chapter is a little dark.**

 **See you at the end!**

* * *

 **Vale Docks:**

Sirens edged ever closer as Cole debated the fate of Adam Taurus. With his back to the defeated White Fang leader, Cole evaluated the benefits and costs of his options. Ultimately, morality won over the easy route. Turning half way round, Cole looked at Adam, who gripped Wilt and Blush while collapsed on his knees. A heavy sigh broke the tense silence as Cole finally expressed his intentions.

"Killing you would be too easy. And the White Fang don't need a martyr to rally behind." Declared Cole calmly, which made Adam scowl.

"Then you are an arrogant fool." Judged Adam hatefully from behind his mask. "You believe that my capture will change anything? Then you underestimate the fire at the heart of our revolution."

Cole could feel his patience dwindling, the defiant nature of Adam clashing with Cole's attempts of reasoning. Flexing his hands to calm the stress rising inside him, Cole continued to stare down Adam while he waited for the police. Throughout this, Adam droned on about the superiority of the Faunus and the flaws of humanity. This eventually struck a nerve within Cole, events of New Marais and the Militia flickering in the back of his mind.

"You truly believe the Faunus are that much different to humans?" Snapped Cole, interrupting Adam. Cole kneeled in front of Adam and pushed right up into his face, pointing an accusing finger. "To me, the only difference are your physical traits. What matters is what you do with those differences."

Glaring through his mask, Adam countered. "And I choose to ignite revolution."

"Then you waste your potential." Cole stood up and back away from Adam, his voice wavering slightly. "I have been on both sides of the coin of equality, persecutor and persecuted."

"That I doubt, human." Stated Adam with venom.

"Humans. Faunus. Monsters." Cole let out a short chuckle, "It's when people start labelling by races that you see who the true monsters are."

"I don't see your point, human." Adam said with a mixture of hate and confusion.

"Why not start with saying my name. So you can start to see the difference between humanity and monsters." Cole said decisively.

Adam debated Cole's words internally, his face involuntarily contorting. "Fine. I'll only call you by name because you are strong, Cole MacGrath."

Cole smiled slightly, ignoring Adam's reasoning. "It's a start. Thank you, Adam Taurus."

Sirens grew even louder, the police having undoubtedly reached the entrance to the docks. But there were others who arrived first. Around the corner, supporting each other a little, walked Amber and Glynda. Neither were badly hurt from what Cole could see, only exhausted from fighting. Amber teared up slightly, seeing Cole stand tall and in relatively good shape. Glynda would normally scowled and lectured Cole for the trouble he had put them through, yet she was too exhausted to complain. Upon seeing them both, Cole smiled warmly, glad that they had come to help him. It felt good to have people watching his back. He, however, was not watching his own back.

Adam rose to his feet, all red highlights around his body glowing intensely. "You may be strong, MacGrath." Hissed Adam with intense venom in his words. "But you are an arrogant fool as well." With that he lunged forward, drawing his blade as he closed the gap.

" _ **MacGrath, behind you!**_ _"_ Warned John as he felt the presence of Adam nearing. Cole felt it too, spinning on the spot with both hands raised to form a stronger Polarity Wall. All colours but red and black drained from the world, the crimson blade of the Bull Faunus sweeping clear through the air. It was then Cole realised his mistake. His Polarity Wall was raised for a horizontal strike or lunge, but Adam was going to bypass it by slashing from underneath it. In a panic, Cole jumped back, releasing his left hand to prepare a counterattack. It was not enough. In an instant, Wilt slashed with inhuman speed upwards, missing the main body of the Conduit, but it still managed to hit part of its target.

Searing pain flared through Cole's right arm as Wilt cut cleanly through it at the wrist. In agony, Cole stumbled backwards, clutching the stump of his now severed wrist. In the distance, Amber screeched in horror, beginning to run towards the two. Roaring in a mixture of pain, adrenaline and fury, Cole righted himself and charged Adam, who was steadying himself after the strike. Both men, tired, injured and angry, collided when Cole shoulder barged Adam square in the chest. Knocked to the ground, Adam was dazed as Cole drove a knee into Adam's gut, grinding it in as he cocked back an electrically charged fist. Without his Aura to defend him, Adam felt the full force of Cole's fist as it crashed with his mask. The mask shattered on impact, electricity breaching Adam's defence and riddling his body with shocks. Suddenly he felt it, an emotion that had not run through his body since he had joined the White Fang. Fear. He was helpless like a child as the monstrous side of Cole was unleashed on him. Beatdown after beatdown, punch after punch rained on Adam's face as he weakly put his arms up to protect himself.

Then it all stopped, bloody and beaten, Adam lay on the concrete ground of Vale's dockyard. Peering through a haze of blood and pain, he could see Cole being torn off him by Amber, tears in her eyes as Cole crumpled into her arms. A monster faded into a broken man. It mirrored himself so closely. In the end, the two of them were the same. When pushed to their limits they shattered, revealing truth. A doubt had been planted in Adam's mind; the truth that he was just as much a monster as a human. Cole's words rang through his mind as he lay there, his ideals dissolving before him. He had deluded himself by blaming all the wrongs on humanity. He refused to accept that he could do no wrong. But now his revolution no longer seemed just, now it was violence to wrongly validate his kind's existence.

After what seemed like endless pain and misery, arms began to hoist him onto his feet. But they found no strength to walk. Glancing weakly through his peripherals, his eyes caught the uniform of the VPD. Now he was at the mercy of humanity once more. As he was dragged off, he was brought alongside Cole, who was not any better off. A bandaged stump replaced where his right hand should be, and he breathed irregularly as Amber held him tight.

"MacGrath…" Uttered Adam weakly, making the policemen carrying him stop.

"You say something, madman?" Jabbed one officer with obvious hate.

"Not… to you." Responded Adam, his red eyes focused on Cole, who had noticed the small conversation. "… Him."

Glynda then strode up, her Huntswoman status putting her in relative charge of the situation. "Let him speak, officers. He can do no more harm."

One officer huffed as he turned to swivel Adam in front of Cole. "Hurry up then. The sooner he's behind bars, the better I'll feel."

Ignoring the hateful comments, Adam looked at Cole, the Conduit staring back with pain written over his face. "I have only one thing to say. Tell… tell Blake… she was right. And I'm sorry." Impatient, the officers then dragged Adam away, the Faunus hanging his head in defeat and acceptance. Cole watched on, not entirely sure what to make of Adam anymore. For now it didn't matter though, the dull pain of his severed wrist distracting him from deep thought. Then there was the tugging feeling at his heart, produced by the warm embrace he found himself in. Something was not right with it, but felt entirely natural as well. Cold spread through his body but the warmth battled with it. He just needed rest and time to think, letting exhaustion take him as he leaned into Amber's chest.

* * *

 **Beacon Infirmary – Saturday Morning:**

Ozpin wasn't quite sure how to treat Cole. By all rights he should have been reprimanded for acting alone and being captured. But Cole was not exactly a Huntsman, so he could not be lectured on the proper code of conduct. On the other hand, he had discovered a considerable amount of detail on those that attacked Amber, and allowed for the capture of the White Fang's deadliest warrior. Despite the intense battle and injury, Cole actually appeared healthier than the day before, giving of an aura of safety somehow. Taking a large sip from his coffee, Ozpin sighed loudly as Cole looked away from him, staring out of the window. After the recounting of his past, Cole had been open about his issues to either Amber or Ozpin, but now he sat silent, obviously troubled by something.

"Cole." Ozpin began with an exhausted tone. "You cannot hide your troubles by avoiding us like a child." Cole shifted, a tell-tale sign he was listening. "From what I know, it has something to do with this… Cinder Fall you met."

After a small silence, it was Cole's turn to sigh, his gravelly voice finally meeting Ozpin's ears. "Sort of."

"I understand that she has seen your past. While it poses a problem to you, I doubt it could stop you." Ozpin deduced calmly, his eyes drifting to the stump of Cole's right arm.

Cole's gaze moved from the window to the ceiling, the Conduit leaning back but still tense. "Do you remember what drove Kessler?"

"Most would say revenge, but it goes deeper than that." Ozpin said astutely, taking another sip of his coffee.

"Let me rephrase my question to be more cliché." Cole said dryly. "What is the most powerful emotion?"

"Love, without a doubt."

Cole finally turned to Ozpin. "There you have your answer. I thought Kessler had destroyed that in me when he killed Trish but…"

"You've fallen for Amber, haven't you?" Ozpin hammered the point in for Cole. Running his remaining hand over his face, Cole's body language silently admitted the truth to Ozpin. At first Ozpin saw no issue with this, then the gears turned as each piece fell into place. If Cinder possessed some memories of Cole's past, then she knew of Trish. And if she knew of the connection between Amber and Cole, then she could exploit him in the same way Kessler used Trish. Cole was not only afraid of them coming after Amber, he was afraid of having to make a choice that involved her life.

"I can help you protect her, Cole." Ozpin offered. "It would not be right to deny yourself happiness in fear of loss. Fear of loss is an inevitable consequence of caring in the first place."

Cole groaned slightly. "You know. I hate it when you're right."

Ozpin smirked with his victory. "I have persuaded the council to keep your identity somewhat anonymous over the issue. For privacy reasons mainly. The press do love their heroes."

A light chuckle escaped Cole. "Yeah tell me about it, makes me wish I was still a bike courier sometimes."

Standing to leave the room, Ozpin mentioned one more thing. "Since you are technically part of my inner circle, I have called in a favour from a fairly new member."

"A favour?" Asked Cole with intrigue.

"Quite. I can't have you fighting back the darkness with me one-handed can I?" Ozpin half-jested with a sly smile.

An eyebrow rose involuntarily on Cole's face. "I know you have some pretty advanced bionics but… do you really think you have something that can handle millions of volts?"

Ozpin just looked smug. "Think of it as a challenge to Atlas' greatest engineering mind."

Cole grinned. "Then I guess you only have my thanks, Oz."

"Think nothing of it, Cole." Ozpin said calmly, making for the door and stopping before it. "Speak to her when you are ready." He muttered enough for Cole to barely hear it.

Leaning back into his infirmary bed, Cole stared at the ceiling. _'A bionic hand, huh? Zeke would be jealous.'_

" _ **Given another few decades, I'm sure we would have developed similar technology.**_ _"_ Spoke up John, his nonchalant tone very similar of Ozpin.

Now alone, Cole could speak to John rather than have a mental conversation. "Still seems a little surreal to me. But I guess a mad world like this suits us. Right?"

" _ **Honestly, I believe few worlds would ever suit us. We just got lucky.**_ _"_ Cole nodded in agreement, things could be a whole lot worse. After the madness of the night, both Conduits found the infirmary tranquil to a degree.

"Hey… John?"

" _ **Hmm?**_ _"_

"Outside all the NSA work and the Beast, did you ever have any time to be… normal?"

" _ **Well there was always sports and movies to watch.**_ _"_ John stated as if he was trying to remember certain moments. _"_ _ **Aside from that, not really. The closest I ever got to a relationship was with Kuo. Even then that was still fairly professional.**_ _"_

"There's our plan for tomorrow then." Decided Cole undemocratically, confusing the more reasonable Conduit. "It'll be movie and sports day. I sure as hell ain't marking any papers with my left hand."

If John actually had a proper physical form, then he would have nodding in agreement. _"_ _ **Sounds good. Though I doubt they have any of the sports we do.**_ _"_

"Maybe, but it's worth a shot. Cheers for the talk, brother." Cole then settled down into his infirmary bed, drifting off quickly. Deep in his mind, John smiled, Cole's last word echoing in his head. It was a word that Cole never used lightly, and to call him brother meant a lot to the disembodied Conduit.

* * *

 **Saturday Evening – Beacon:**

Release from the infirmary came a lot earlier than Cole expected. Wearing his suit, now a light blue, a visibly tired Cole trudged through the empty Beacon courtyard on his way to his room. He hid his injury by putting his stump in a pocket and strolled like his hands were in his pockets. That way, no-one would stop and stare or question him if he walked past. The dull pain where his right hand should have been bothered him a little, but the cool night air soothed his mind, along with a small drain of a Dust crystal now and then. Continuing along the courtyard, the faint tapping of shoes reached Cole's ears. The frequency of the taps meant someone was running, but who would be running around at this time in the evening?

Glancing around, a sleek form caught Cole's eye as it came to a halt before the large statue of a Huntsman and a Huntress stood triumphant over a Grimm. Edging closer, he instantly recognised the student as she reached up to the bow atop her head.

' _Blake'_ Thought Cole as he silently walked up to the girl, who was wiping a tear from her eye as she let her cat ears out from her bow. Adam's words to Cole came back to him, which gave Cole an inkling of why she was upset.

"He told me you were right you know?" Spoke Cole softly, trying not to startle the upset girl. Blake tensed a little, turning slowly to meet the grey eyes of her professor.

"W-who?" Blake asked quietly, her voice quivering.

Cole felt like Blake was avoiding admitting the truth. "I've done far worse than you Blake. It isn't hard to figure out what you were by the way you behave." A half-truth, although Blake's file hinted at her past, Adam's words basically let the cat out of the bag. "Just know that I'm proud that you've chosen this path. And that _he_ is too." Cole walked past Blake, heading for the staff accommodation.

"Is Adam alright?" Cole stopped, looked over his shoulder and smiled.

"Neither of us really came out unscathed but…" Pulling his maimed arm out of its pocket, Cole paused and studied it blankly. Blake's gaze never left the bandages that adorned Cole until he slid his arm back into his pocket. "… but I think he's on the mend. In more ways than one."

Blake had no response, bowing her head in both thought and thanks. A hand gripped her shoulder comfortingly, the amber-eyed Faunus looking up through the strands of hair that had fallen in front of her face.

"But what about me?" Blake mumbled, eyes gravitating to the floor again. "I accidentally told Weiss I was once part of the White Fang. Now she hates me for being a part of it."

"Maybe…" Cole remarked. "…but it sounds like she hates the White Fang, not Faunus." The hand on Blake's shoulder slipped away, the professor taking a few steps in front of Blake and squatting down to make eye contact. "The Faunus and the Fang aren't the same thing, and people forget that too easily."

"So?" Blake countered. "I was both."

" _Was_." Cole highlighted, emphasising his argument by pointing at Blake. "That is the idea you need to drive into Weiss' brain. The fact that you left of your own will speaks volumes."

"I… guess you're right." Blake conceded, making Cole smile.

"Good, now go back and stand your ground." Ordered Cole, standing up tall and clasping Blake's right arm with a strong but supportive grip. "If Weiss doesn't get the point, send Weiss to me for lessons on racism. I can tell her some shit that'll make the current White Fang look like kindergartners."

With that final message, Cole left, tired and but feeling slightly proud of himself.

" _ **The example you were thinking of doesn't really have a Remnant equivalent.**_ _"_ Criticised John. Cole rolled his eyes and kept walking.

"Cut me some slack, John. It was the first example to pop into my head."

" _ **Fair enough. I will say you handled it fairly well.**_ _"_ John said, rating Cole's supportive intervention.

"I'll take it. Never had to be a responsible adult to kids outside of class before." Cole said as he entered the staff accommodation building, heading for the stairs.

" _ **You've had more than enough responsibility with the choice you've made.**_ _"_

Cole groaned slightly, more from physical effort than over John's comments. "Way to bring the mood down. I really just need sleep, not a recounting of my past." Upon reaching his room, Cole didn't even bother to get his key out. Draining the lock bypassed the security so he did just that, opening his room and flopping down on his bed as soon as he got close. Without resistance, Cole melted into the warm cushioning of his bed and drifted immediately to sleep. The first deep sleep he had experienced in weeks.

* * *

 **Sunday Morning:**

A light tapping at the door stirred Cole from his sleep. Still messily dressed in his work clothes from last night, the Conduit dragged himself onto his feet, drowsily walking to the door while yawning. Peeping through the eye-hole, Cole saw Amber waiting patiently outside, but with a sad look on her face and a bundle of cloth in her arms. Cole breathed deeply and opened the door, giving the Fall Maiden a warm smile.

"Morning, Amber." Yawned Cole, stepping aside to let her in. "Come in."

Silently, Amber walked into the room, setting down the cloth bundle on the bed. Turning to Cole, she smile kindly.

"How are you feeling?" Amber asked softly, her eyes flicking down to the missing forearm, which Cole quickly pocketed.

"As good as I can I guess." Cole answered automatically. "Still get twinges, like my hand is there."

Amber's eye dropped a little. "That- that's good… I mean for one whole day at least."

Cole could feel the hesitation coming off of Amber, and normally he would be patient in her presence, but the bundle Amber had brought with her gave Cole a bad feeling.

"Amber…" The Fall Maiden glanced up to meet his grey eyes. "What's in the cloth?"

A gulp of nervousness was Amber's response. Slowly she turned to the cloth and began to unfold it carefully. Cole didn't need to see much of the metal hidden underneath to know what it was. A sad tugging pulled on Cole's heart as the remains of his last real connection to Zeke lay in pieces on his bed. The Amp had been broken.

"How?" Asked Cole quietly.

Amber bowed her head. "One of Cinder's minions, the silver-haired one, destroyed it to annoy the mint-haired one."

Brushing his remaining hand over the metal, Cole studied the extent of the damage which the weeks of training and the conflict at the docks had caused. While hurt at the mistreatment of Zeke's pride and joy, Cole knew he could repair it. He just needed to find the right person up to the task. But first he had to address the other issue in the room. Looking to the quiet Amber, who seemed consumed by thought with her head bowed to the ground, Cole stepped closer and pulled her into a one-armed embrace. Amber, for once didn't know how to react. She had expected Cole to be furious, or miserable. Now here he was, thanking her? Glancing up, Cole's soft smile greeted her. His voice was quiet, sad but also grateful.

"Thank you, for everything you've done for me."

Amber had only one response to Cole words. Reaching up slowly and cupping his cheek, spurred on by the warmth of his embrace, she pulled him in close and planted a soft kiss on his lips. Eyes shut and arms wrapping around each other, the two melted into a long kiss. Weeks of emotion, stress and hidden feelings faded as both the Beast and the Maiden gave into their love for each other. Cole felt all he was disappear, all he focused on was the woman he held close, and the long forgotten feeling of love in his heart and on his lips. Amber shuddered with relief as the kiss lengthened. Her worries and fears dispelled by Cole's presence. Neither wanted to break the moment, but air was still a necessity for powerful beings like them.

"How about…" Amber half-whispered, gazing into Cole's eyes. "… You buy me dinner then. As payment."

"Sounds good. But it's still the morning." Agreed Cole, leaning back in and stealing another kiss from Amber. Without resistance, Amber kissed back deeply, content with staying as she was for as long as possible.

* * *

 **Mountain Glenn:**

Mercury crashed against the side of a crumbling building as his boss took out her anger on him. Ever since he and Emerald had crawled their way back to Cinder through the underground railway network, the crimson-dressed woman had hunted them to vent her displeasure. Emerald got off lightly, being the kiss-ass to Cinder which irritated Mercury, she received a brutal slap and temporary confinement. The assassin, however, was not as fortunate. Being the tougher of Cinder's closest henchmen, he had a target on his back from the moment he stepped into her presence. After Cinder had dealt with Emerald, she had ordered Mercury to run and hide. And Mercury did just that, fleeing to the overworld to hide amongst the decrepit graveyard of a city that was Mountain Glenn. Not that his actions did him any good.

Hardly an hour had passed before Mercury had felt an unnatural tugging force on his body. Struggling with futility, Mercury's eyes soon came dangerously close to Cinder's which no longer radiated gold, but burned a hellish crimson. No words were exchanged at first, the assassin being tossed around like a ragdoll. The rage that emanated from Cinder even attracted Grimm, which soon found out that attacking Mercury or her resulted in incineration. The quickly non-existent Grimm provided a distraction good enough for Mercury to slip away. Battered and low on Aura, he decided to minimise his movement once he had gotten far enough away. Peering round corners and crawling through buildings produced some reprieve, but not for very long. As Mercury dashed across a street to switch from cover to cover, he found himself lifted off his feet then slammed into the very building he was running for. Groaning in pain, he felt the experience of weightlessness once more, then a soft hand cupping his chin. Opening his eyes cautiously, Mercury met the sadistic grin of Cinder.

"C-Cinder please!" Begged Mercury. "We were outmatched by that Maiden bitch!"

Cinder's grin widened. "Oh Mercury. I know you were."

"Then… why?" Asked Mercury in confusion.

"Why? Because your failure wasted my time, resources and cost me dear little Adam." Listed Cinder with false kindness in her voice. "Not only those, you lost the only person capable of making me stronger!" Cinder cast Mercury down the streets violently, tearing his clothes and exposing his metal legs.

Pleading with every inch of his body, Mercury reached out for some form of mercy. "Cinder, I… I'll make them pay for it all! Please… stop!"

"Mercury, Mercury. You'll help me make them pay no matter what I do to you." Explained Cinder with the cold kindness in her voice. Then her voice twisted, anger and venom surfacing. "I just happen to be in the wrong mood right now." Lifted off the ground once more by unseen forces, Mercury wriggled and strained weakly. Tracing his chest, Cinder burnt away the remaining cloth covering it.

"Do try to remain still, Mercury. I would hate to harm you more than I plan to." Cooed Cinder maliciously in Mercury's ear. Compared to the beatings and abuse Mercury had experienced under his father, the pain that Cinder wrought was excruciating. A burning tip of one of Cinder's delicate fingers carved into Mercury's chest. All the young assassin could do was scream.

* * *

 **I am evil and I am not sorry.**

 **On the other hand, romance stuff ain't my forte but I decided that the relationship needed to be started.**

 **Tell me what you guys thought of the chapter in the reviews, and I'll see you next time!**

 **Wardtortle, out!**


	15. Upgrades

**Hey all! I return bearing a new chapter. Yes this one will be a little filler-ish, but partly necessary. More plot development next chapter!**

 **On to the reviews!**

 **Shadow-Proclamation8: I may or may not add in sex scenes, though implying it is easy, writing them not so much. More a fan of gruesome shit.**

 **Noob6: Nailed pretty much what I was going for on the symbolism. And you're not far from the mark with the rest.**

 **Kyrogue23: As much as I want to stick a gun in his new arm and wrist, Cole just doesn't need one. Plus him and guns don't mix, see inFamous 1.**

 **Mr. X: Afraid he can't, John can help with smaller injuries, but a whole wrist is a no go at half strength.**

 **Nemesis Astraea: Maybe... maybe... I have been playing Mankind Divided.**

 **Now without further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

 **The Start of the Second Semester:**

To say the last few months were easy would be a complete lie. Between the classes and his time spent with Amber, Cole had to juggle small allotments to aid Ruby with rebuilding the Amp as well as make occasional visits to Ozpin for often nothing more than a conversation. Fighting as the Prime Conduit had been intensively difficult for Cole, which had distracted him from how painfully slow a real life could be. Of course normal life did come with its perks. Time spent with Amber made Cole feel at ease; all his worries faded and he could only feel love for his girlfriend. Naturally it had not taken long for practically everyone else to figure out the two were dating. Ozpin had raked in a large sum of Lien from the faculty from bets alone. Money that would no doubt go towards his coffee budget. The students found out through overheard conversations amongst the staff. With their private life out in the open, both teachers embraced the change in lifestyle, openly walking around with Amber linking an arm through Cole's. All in all, only the lack of one hand really inconvenienced Cole. That is until the arrival of the Atlesian fleet. Cole now stood in Ozpin's office, off to the side from the entrance. Ozpin and Glynda watched the fleet's arrival from the circular clock window.

"Ironwood certainly likes bringing his work wherever he travels." Commented a notably irritated Glynda.

"Well, running an academy and a military makes him a very busy man." Placated Ozpin. "But yes those are a bit of an eyesore."

"Reminds me of home." Said Cole from his position against a pillar. "My country always loved showing off their vast wealth and 'freedom'."

An access request beeped on Ozpin's desk, the headmaster answering. "Come in." Ozpin made his way past his desk with his hands held behind his back. Through the elevator door strode in a tall man dressed in a white military-like jacket, a metal strip sitting on his forehead next to his greying hair. Behind him followed a smaller, notably older man in a lab coat. Balding grey hair contrasted with vibrant green eyes. Aside from his slender figure the man did not appear to be much else. The girl next to him, however, was another story. She had orange curly hair topped with a pink bow at the back. Her light skin was dotted with freckles and her eyes were complete mirrors of the older man next to her. Additionally she wore a blouse with a skirt like overall on top, as well as black and green stockings. Her appearance wasn't what struck Cole as different. It was that she radiated electricity. Instantly Cole scanned her with his Electrical Sense, completely surprised to see not a human skeleton comprised of bone, but metal.

"Ozpin!"

"Hello, General." Greeted Ozpin nonchalantly. Cole took note that this was the General Ironwood Glynda and Ozpin had just been discussing.

"Please, drop the formalities." Ironwood chuckled slightly. "It's been too long. And Glynda, it has certainly been too long since we last met."

"Oh James." Sarcastically greeted Glynda, making Cole smirk. "I'll be outside."

As Glynda was leaving, James returned his attention to Ozpin. "Well she hasn't changed a bit."

"Quite." Ozpin finally took notice of Ironwood's entourage. "Welcome Doctor Polendina, your assistance with my colleagues issue is invaluable."

Polendina chuckled. "No, no, I relished the challenge. The specifications relayed to me by James were quite intriguing."

Ozpin smiled. "Yes, Kessler has a very unique set of abilities. Speaking of, the man in question has yet to properly introduce himself." Everyone followed Ozpin's gaze to Cole, who still observed from the pillar he leaned upon. Pushing off the pillar, Cole took a few steps towards the Atlas group.

"Sorry if I seem antisocial. Military types don't exactly mix well with me." Cole greeted tersely.

Ironwood extended his gloved hand out in greeting. "I can understand some apprehension, but Ozpin and I have been good friends for a while. By extension that means I am happy to help you." Cole pull out his stumped arm from its pocket, Ironwood realising his mistake and switching hands. Apprehensively Cole shook Ironwood's left hand.

"Good to see some of Amber's good behaviour has rubbed off on you, Kessler." Ozpin noted with a smile.

Cole smiled widely back. "Yeah, she's really something."

Dr Polendina quickly cut into the conversation. "General, I'm sure you have some catching up to do with Ozpin. So if it is alright with Professor Kessler, I would like to do a few tests and prepare to fit the new appendage."

"Please don't let me hold you back." Ozpin answered politely.

"Lead the way." Cole said, gesturing to the elevator. Dr Polendina gave a curt nod to the two headmasters and made for the elevator. Cole stopped short and turned to Ozpin. "Oh and Oz! There's something I want to discuss when we're both done."

Ozpin nodded as Cole entered the elevator. "Very well, Kessler. Come back here afterwards."

* * *

 **Atlesian Flagship:**

Aside from the fancy machinery and bustling military atmosphere, the ship was dull. Cole couldn't stand the bland ambience of military establishments. Too much of rules and regulations bored him. Perhaps it was why he decided to drop from college, and why he enjoyed the crazy life of New Marais, at least before the Militia. In fact the only source of vibrancy on the ship came from the strange girl striding alongside him. Dr Polendina had ran off ahead to get everything prepared, leaving Cole to be escorted by his strange daughter, Penny. Not only was she highly suspicious, being what Cole could only label as a high-tech android; she was incredibly persistent in her questions.

"So Mr Kessler, sir, where do you come from?" Asked the girl in a chipper tone.

"Outside the kingdoms." Cole responded dryly and automatically.

"And what has my father so excited about you? He has been very busy these few months working on a strange project." Pressed Penny further.

Cole sighed a little in exasperation. "Look kid. I'm here for an important operation, not twenty questions. If you want to know more, I'm sure your father can fill in some details."

The girl bowed her head slightly before immediately reverting to her sunny personality. Rounding dull grey corner after dull grey corner made Cole feel like he was walking in circles. Only when the slender frame of Dr Polendina appeared in their path did Cole cheer up, slightly. Inside the room the doctor stood vigil over was a large steel table with various mechanical arms designed to aid him. Removing his jacket and shirt, Cole laid down on the table. Looming over him was Polendina, carefully sliding on surgical gloves and a mask.

"Now most procedures would use anaesthetic to dull the pain or put you under, but I require your responses to know if the appendage is fully operational." Detailed the doctor methodically as he removed the bandages surrounding my stump. "First I need to make an attachment plate for easy fixing and removal. Are you ready?"

Cole said nothing, choosing to nod quickly and centre his gaze on the ceiling. Small cuts nicked at Cole's skin, but no reaction came from the Conduit. The same could not be said for his mental inhabitant.

" _ **So you starting to become the Million Dollar Man now, MacGrath?**_ _"_ John joked while Cole winced a little from deeper cuts and metal being combined with his skin.

' _Fuck off, John.'_ Cole scolded through the pain. _'Getting surgical cuts isn't exactly fun and games.'_

John 'looked down' on Cole's behaviour. _"_ _ **Quit whining, I got atomised. A joke or two might pass the time.**_ _"_

' _Wrong place, wrong time, John.'_ Growled Cole mentally as Polendina finished up the attachment point.

" _ **You might complain now, but Amber won't later, if you catch my drift.**_ _"_ John commented with a smirk.

Cole felt the biggest urge to punch something, preferably John if he could. _'Seriously John, fuck off! I have enough people commenting about my relationship; I don't need you judging my sex life!'_

" _ **Fine, fine. All I wanted was some entertainment, watching all the time is no fun.**_ _"_ John then vanished from Cole's mind.

Soon Dr Polendina finished up the connection point, pulling Cole to an upright position and wheeling in a trolley with three separate hands on them. Each were made of a sleek, dark grey metal with obvious joints on the fingers and wrist. What confused the Conduit was why three were made. Reaching down with his natural hand Cole picked up and weighed the first hand. It seemed light, but that was no doubt due to his enhanced strength. Polendina then gently took the hand from Cole, attaching it to the connection point carefully and securing the wrist. A strange sensation riddled Cole's body as the nerves in his mechanical appendage connected to his nervous system. At first the forearm did nothing, then the muscle memory of moving his arm kicked in. One finger shifted, then all four. Bit by bit Cole moved his new forearm, reciting movements to himself as he did.

' _Fingers down, thumb in. Then open and… repeat.'_ His hand obeyed him, forming a fist, opening it and closing it over and over. His smile grew wider with every movement he made. Polendina joined Cole is his elation, proud of a successful operation. All that was left was testing all three.

"If you would step this way, Kessler." Polendina gestured to a door behind him. Stepping through with the trolley, Cole found an open room with a few targets set up. Over a speaker, Polendina began the tests. "While we were able to make the new arms durable and light, one issue we could not test was the threshold for the voltage can supply. I would like you to channel your Semblance through your new arm to test its limits and overheat failsafe."

"Got it." Replied Cole, as eager to test himself as the doctor. Charging up his body, Cole unleashed a Magnum Bolt, devastating a target. No visible change occurred in the hand so Cole continued, firing bolt after bolt at every target that appeared. Heat began to build in Cole's arm the more he fired. Instinctively he shook his arm as if he'd picked up something extremely hot, only for his wrist to split open into four plates and vent the heat. After ten seconds the arm had entirely cooled, leaving Cole to run his natural hand over his mechanical wrist.

"Splendid! The overheat failsafe worked perfectly!" Declared Polendina with joy over the speaker.

"So why the spares?" Cole asked waving to the two spare attachments.

"Better safe than sorry." Answered Polendina curtly. "Now, there is one other detail I want to go over."

* * *

 **Beacon's Armory:**

Remaking the Amp was tough. Not only was the design incredibly different to anything Ruby had made before, installing the changes Cole had approved of was tricky. Crescent Rose was a masterpiece for the young Huntress-in-training, but the Amp was going to be a close second. Currently Ruby was meticulously adjusting the new gears and applying the new metal casing. At least it took her mind off losing Remnant: The Game to her sister and Neptune repeatedly. Technically the Amp was already complete, but everyone knew Ruby was a weapon-nut, and would not sit still if Crescent Rose was not in perfect condition. The same issue applied to the Amp, since she felt pride similar to Zeke's when he had first created the weapon. A light knocking at the door to her maintenance almost threw her off, the real owner of the weapon stepping through the doorway.

"How's it going, kid?" Asked Professor Kessler, who leaned beside the workbench with his arms crossed.

"Almost…" Ruby stuck her tongue out to focus, an intense look on her face. "Done!" Replacing the final hatch over the gears, Ruby displayed the weapon proudly to Cole. "Give it a twirl!"

Cole chuckled at Ruby's exuberance taking the weapon from her. "In class Ruby, I promised to show Professor Keziah something first." It was then that Ruby noticed Cole was holding the Amp with his right hand. A _gloved_ right hand. She couldn't hold back her excitement. Ever since Blake had told her team the truth about Adam Taurus' arrest by Cole they had noticed Cole always hid his right hand. They knew Cole had lost it fighting Adam, but no-one expected him to get it replaced so quickly. So whenever Ruby got childishly excited over something, she squealed.

"Oooh, a new hand!" Cole rolled his eyes, silently cursing Ruby's curious nature.

"Yeah, I know it's exciting but I need to go." Rather than behave like a teacher, Cole ruffled Ruby's hair before leaving. "Thanks for all the help Ruby. Zeke would be proud." Ruby stood their dumbstruck at the praise. A minute passed before Ruby came back to Remnant, grinning like an idiot for even longer. Only a buzzing from her scroll managed to bind her mind to reality. Picking up the call, Ruby received an earful of cheery greetings.

"HELLOOOOO~!" Yang shouted happily down the phone.

"Owww. No need to be so loud Yang!" Scolded Ruby, swapping her scroll to the other ear.

"Aww don't be mad Rubes. I have some great news from dad!"

Instantly Ruby perked up. "Ooh! Ooh! Whatisit, whatisit?! Wait! Let me guess! Is he going on missions again?!"

"Close but not quite, sis." Yang said with a grin Ruby could not see. "Someone came to visit dad at home yesterday. They're both coming to visit today!"

"Who?!" Ruby asked, hopping on her toes in excitement.

"Head to the dorm. I'll be there in a few." Immediately the call disconnected. Ruby squealed in anticipation, grabbing Crescent Rose and running from the room in a trail of roses.

* * *

 **Beacon Courtyard:**

"Hey! Lightning Rod!" Called a slurred and faintly familiar voice behind Cole. The Conduit turned halfway, seeing a dark-haired man being propped up by another man. The second man was of similar height, with bright blond hair and matching stubble. He wore a tan and brown vest with matching cargo shorts. After a short session of staring, Cole recognised the drunken man. Qrow, Ozpin's ally who had saved both him and Amber months ago. Cole let a friendly smile creep over his face, raising his left hand to wave at the Huntsman.

"Qrow. Good to see you again." Cole began walking towards them, but felt on edge when Qrow shook off the other man aggressively.

"Good to see me, my ass!" Qrow spat at Cole, gripping for a red hand behind his back. "I heard what happened to Ruby."

Cole sighed. "We can chat later about that. Go home Qrow, you're drunk!"

"He's always drunk." Retorted the blond man. "You're better off just duking it out, despite my attempts to stop him." Cole groaned with impatience. Everything had been going smoothly for Cole today, meaning this ridiculous vendetta Qrow had for him only irritated the Conduit. Not only did Cole believe the issue with Ruby had been smoothed over in the past few months, but he didn't really feel like fighting an angry drunk, Huntsman or not. Reluctantly he drew the Amp, the sun reflecting off its brand new metal casing. Passing a small current through the weapon activated its prongs, extending it to the full length. Qrow grinned cockily, drawing his sword off his back and extending the blade.

"I think Amber will understand me being late to put a drunk old man in his place." Cole taunted, pointing the Amp at Qrow.

Qrow scoffed at the taunt. "Pfft. Dream on. This old man is going to kick your ass." To the side the blond man simply slapped a hand to his face, regretting let this fight go ahead.

"Then bring it!" Declared Cole, making the first move. Electricity lashed out from the Amp, skimming past Qrow's ear as the older man moved his head. Qrow smirked at the attempt and charged. Aggressive slash after aggressive slash was thrown at Cole, who backpedalled to block the strikes. Cole then caught Qrow's sword between the prongs of the Amp, allowing him to fire a point blank bolt into Qrow's chest. Although his aura sponged the damage, the shock of electrocution rapidly sobered Qrow. One of his red eyes glinted, his next strike propelling Cole back across the ground a few metres. Using his backward momentum Cole got to his feet rapidly, throwing an Alpha Grenade at Qrow's feet. With ease Qrow leapt over the explosion, crashing down on the ground where Cole had been moments before, cracking the concrete. In retaliation Cole struck fast with the Amp, aiming for Qrow's ribs. Metal clashed again, but Cole had thought ahead of time. A quick spin of his body positioned Cole in Qrow's blind spot, which gave Cole time to wind up a powerful punch to Qrow's gut once the Huntsman had swung his sword round with his body. Cole's mechanical hand knocked the air out of Qrow and sent him sprawling back with the follow through.

Qrow got up steadily, laughing as he did. "Not bad. You pack quite the hit. But you're sloppy. In the same situation Tai would've done some serious damage."

"Tai?" Cole queried.

"Yang's dad, the guy frowning over there." Qrow pointed to the blond man stood with his arms crossed. Qrow then cracked his joints, rolling his shoulders as well. "Now I'm ready."

Cole kept the Amp in his left hand, extending his right to fire Scythe Bolts at Qrow. Just like Ozpin had, Qrow deflected the electricity with his weapon, sending the bolts dangerously close to the gathering crowd of students. Advancing quickly, Qrow kept his defence up through deft use of his ambidexterity. When the two were in arms reach they both struck out with force. As the two clashed, the growing crowd began to chat and cheer. A growing crowd also limited the Conduit's ability to use more explosive moves. Slowly the results of trading strikes began to show: Cole standing more visibly exhausted than Qrow. Most people Cole had fought up until now showed confidence when winning, but Qrow was different. Not one inch of his body slacked, only the broad grin on his face was casual.

During a short stand-off to catch their breaths, Cole flicked a small switch on the Amp's handle. Winding up slowly, the prongs began to spin around the centre. Charged with Cole's energy the weapon became a spinning drill of pure lightning. Qrow smirked at the change and began shifting his own weapon, the handle extending and the blade curving. Clockwork groaned as the sword transformed into a mean scythe that Qrow held out in front of himself. Cole readied the spinning Amp in his left hand and charged, Qrow matching his speed and dragging his scythe through the ground behind him. Both men lunged at each other, yet never hit. Qrow had narrowly dodged the Amp and caught Cole's wrist, but Cole had done the most surprising thing. A loud metal clang rang out over the courtyard as Cole caught Qrow's scythe blade with his right hand. Now they were locked in place, Qrow's alcoholic breath filling the small gap between the men. The crowd of students were silent, eager to see more action. Cole gave them their wish.

A burst of electricity erupted from Cole, attacking Qrow's Aura while the two locked each other in place. This forced Qrow to leap back a large distance and switch back to his sword. Cole was not about to let up though, firing a few Alpha Bolts to keep the experienced Huntsman on his toes. On the back foot, Qrow circled around Cole, his enhanced speed outrunning the electricity barrages. Cole became irritated at not being able to hit Qrow, forgetting the overheat function on his arm. Instantly the wrist vented and Cole realised his mistake. Now Qrow took the opening, crossing the distance in less than three seconds. Immediately Cole raised the Amp to defend, blocking the charging strike, but not avoiding the follow-up blast of shrapnel from Qrow's sword. On the ground with pellets smoking in his chest, Cole groaned in pain loudly. Not long after he hit the ground a sword point slammed into the concrete next to his head. Cheers erupted from the students while Qrow knelt over Cole.

"You're not bad, but age means experience, buddy." Judged Qrow proudly. Another figure loomed over Cole as his eyesight focused properly. The blond man, Tai, stood over Cole with a disapproving look directed at Qrow.

"Had your fill now Qrow?" Tai asked impatiently.

"Yeah, time to see Oz." Qrow said, standing tall and sheathing his sword.

"You will not have to look far." Called out the voice of Ozpin. Cole sat up at his voice, pushing himself up with the Amp and hobbling quickly to the nearest lamppost. As he drained the post, someone slipped their body under his arm to hold him up. A quick glance down revealed Amber, who looked openly annoyed.

"What? He was drunk and I wanted to test myself." Cole explained casually.

Amber was not impressed. "One: Qrow's always drunk. Two: You already did tests with Dr Polendina."

"Okay, okay! I get it, sorry!" Apologised Cole quickly, placing the Amp on his back and pulled off the tattered glove on his right hand.

"That looks like some serious high-tech." Amber commented in awe.

"It blocked Qrow's scythe." Boasted Cole. "Oz is a miracle worker when it comes to favours. I owe him big time." Calm had settled over the courtyard once more, students fading from the crowd and spreading across Beacon's campus. Only the five adults now remained in the damaged section of the courtyard, none bothering to acknowledge the shattered concrete. The five had split into two separate conversations, Ozpin warmly greeting Tai and only slightly reprimanding Qrow. Honestly it was to spare Qrow the lecture from Glynda, who was on her way. Cole and Amber sat to the side on a bench, the former explaining his upgrades in depth. After the polite conversation had been made between Ozpin and the two male members of Team STRQ, Qrow had clapped Cole on the back and casually strolled away to find his nieces with Tai in tow. Ozpin then swivelled around to the couple, taking a sip of his coffee.

Nonchalantly, Ozpin stood behind the two and spoke to them. "While I don't approve of people destroying my academy's property, I suppose you have had sufficient practice with your new additions now." Both looked over their shoulders at Ozpin.

"Works better than I ever believed." Cole agreed, his new forearm wrapped lovingly round Amber's shoulder. "I have so much to thank you for, Oz."

Ozpin gently shook his head. "No need, your aid with my school and protecting this world is more than enough for a man such as me." Another sip of coffee. "If I'm not mistaken, you wished to discuss something with me after the General's visit?"

Cole glanced quickly at Amber then spoke. "It has to do with Polendina's daughter." Amber looked at Cole entirely lost on the conversation.

"Oh?" Mused Ozpin with intrigue. "Do elaborate."

"She's not human." Stated Cole bluntly, both Amber and Ozpin raised an eyebrow at this.

Ozpin pressed the matter with great interest. "Normally I'd refute your statement, given she has an Aura. Yet I sense there is something you know that I do not."

"That's the contradiction, which is why I'm letting Amber hear this." Cole explained. "I scanned her when I felt electricity pooling within her. Her entire body had wires running through it." Ozpin and Amber both were taken aback by this revelation.

"Meaning she's an android." Contributed Amber, drawing from her knowledge of Aura. "But machines cannot generate an Aura. They have no soul!"

Ozpin appeared deeply troubled, his eyes set on the ground before him. "It seems Dr Polendina is more of a genius than we give him credit for. And that General Ironwood has some rather ambitious plans."

Cole snorted with disdain. "Now you understand why I don't like military types."

Making his way around the bench, Ozpin gave his instructions to Cole and Amber. "James' heart is in the right place. I suggest you stay quiet on this matter and I will deal with it cautiously."

Amber nodded and smiled the headmaster. "I'll keep Cole in line, Oz." A protest tried to escape Cole's mouth, but he knew that Amber was not wrong, shutting his mouth with a disapproving frown. The Maiden and the Headmaster laughed at Cole's reaction, much to his chagrin.

"Now I best be returning to my duties. The Vytal Festival will not run itself." Ozpin swiftly departed, taking long sips of his coffee while doing so. Left somewhat alone, Amber leaned into Cole's shoulder lovingly. Returning the sentiment, Cole rested his head above hers. The two sat in a short silence, enjoying each other's company and the warm summer weather.

Eventually Amber sighed contently and got to her feet. "So troublemaker, what's the plan for today?"

"Hmm." Cole mused over a few ideas, his gaze focused on her stunning features. "How about we head to Vale? I've worked up a small appetite." Standing up, he offered his right hand in a gentlemanly manner to Amber. Happily she took his hand, slipping her fingers into his and giving Cole a small kiss on the cheek.

"As long as you don't pick any fights." Joked Amber with a soft giggle. No retort found Cole, only a loving smile as he led Amber towards the air docks.

* * *

 **So you guys and gals enjoy the new upgrades? I got the idea for the Amp upgrade from simply looking at its design and thinking: 'hmm, what if the prongs could rotate around the centre.'**

 **Also I've not revealed everything, but like Nemesis reviewed, I have taken inspiration from Deus Ex a bit. Plus anyone who got the movie reference in John's conversation, I praise your cultured knowledge.**

 **Anyway, please leave reviews because as I've said many a time before, I love the feedback. Additionally I am sorry for how long Jak and Daxter is taking, I decided to write a mega chapter to get the necessary evil of Beacon's initiation out of the way.**

 **See you when I see you.**

 **Wardtortle, out!**


	16. Progress

**IT RETURNS! With another semi-filler chapter. I mean what RWBY fanfic would this be without a bit of character development and the dance? (dance next chapter, sorry!).**

 **Anyway Reviews!**

 **Multiple Viewers:** Alright, let's get this out of the way. I will NOT be putting Delsin Rowe into my story CANONICALLY.I am, however, planning a 2-3 chapter long filler arc after the Cinder Arc involving Delsin (to appease those that want him to show up). I loved Second Son and Delsin's character, but this fic is about Cole. Putting Delsin in the main story would ruin the entire balance of everything and the focus on Cole and Amber.

 **flamelegendvargas:** TTGL is my pick-me-up anime when I need something enjoyable to watch with plenty of action (so long as you skip the first episode or so of the timeskip).

 **KuletXCore:** I will try to be consistent for you and everyone else, but I simply don't have a routine life. I write when I can. (Even if I have to write all night to keep up.)

 **And now, onwards!**

* * *

 **Aura Combat Class:**

To say Pyrrha Nikos was a prodigy was an understatement. Ruby was a prodigy being so young, but Pyrrha sat levels above her peers. How could you tell this? Well for starters she was not only beating the exceptionally trained Weiss Schnee, Pyrrha was trouncing her. Ice, fire, wind all battled against the red-headed amazon, yet not one solid hit had been made. Her reaction speed was even greater than Cole's, almost predictive. Admitting that both girls had developed dramatically under Amber's tutelage, Cole didn't fancy fighting either of the students. He had, however, promised Glynda to test each student and file reports for qualification in the upcoming Vytal Festival Tournament. Cole knew he was very astute, especially with combat, but even he preferred hands on testing over simply watching. A long buzzer signalled Pyrrha's victory, applause resounding throughout the arena. Cole himself even clapped slowly, stepping into the light.

"Congratulations Miss Nikos, a brilliant victory." The teen beamed at the praise, then she saw the expression on Cole's face; determined and focused. "Your foes, Grimm or human, won't let up because you beat one of them though." Excited chatter drifted throughout the students as Pyrrha's Aura bar lit up on the screen once more while Cole drew the Amp off his back. Immediately Pyrrha raised her shield, taking the initiative and charging her teacher. She met the brunt of an Alpha Blast, slowing her progress but not stopping her from powering through. In range she lowered her shield, slashing vertically before following up with short jabs and slashes. It was evident that her swordplay was far better than Cole's, the Conduit on the defensive. Cole though, had tricks up his sleeves, and didn't play fair. As Pyrrha charged again, sliding between Cole's legs, she felt her body lift off the ground. Struggling to twist mid-air, Pyrrha looked from her upside down position to see an electrical field surrounding Cole's feet, one hand raised signifying he was controlling it.

"What?" Declared Pyrrha in shock, raising her shield as Cole swung his Amp in a wide arc at her. The collision came with enough force to knock her clear of the field, the champion rolling along the ground a little before righting herself with momentum. Twirling the Amp in his right hand, Cole then rested in on his shoulder and watched Pyrrha's confused face. Alongside her fellow students, she was trying to figure out what happened, dropping into a defensive stance and circling Cole.

"Confused?" Asked Cole with a smirk. "While your polarity is exceptionally controlled, my electricity is both diverse and heavily controllable."

Pyrrha cocked her head while continuing to circle the still Cole. "What did you do?"

Cole gave another smirk over his shoulder. "That would ruin the secret, although I wouldn't be a good teacher if I failed to teach you anything." Swivelling on his heel, Cole faced Pyrrha. "Tell me, how good is your scientific knowledge? Specifically physics."

Students cocked and scratched their heads in thought, although one figured it out immediately. Ruby slammed a fist down into an open palm, her and Pyrrha's team looking at her quizzically.

"Electromagnetism!" Declared Ruby proudly.

Cole snapped his fingers and pointed at Ruby without taking his eyes off Pyrrha. "Bingo!"

"What?" Asked a large majority of the students out loud.

"I'm manipulating my electricity to a molecular level to create a magnetic field." Cole explained simply. "And you, Miss Nikos, are wearing a nice set of metal armour."

Displeased that Cole could mimic her Semblance to an extent, Pyrrha charged her teacher with renewed determination. Switching to her rifle, resting it in one of the curves of her shield and firing at Cole. Casually the Conduit raised a Polarity Wall, performing a backhanded slash as Pyrrha neared. Milo skimmed past Cole's face as Pyrrha threw her weapon, the redhead using Cole's Amp as a platform to vault over the professor and catch Milo. Unrelenting in his attack, Cole struck out with the butt of the Amp, only to find himself missing a strike that would have normally hit Pyrrha's shield. In his moment of imbalance Pyrrha kneed him in the gut and connected a spinning kick to the back of his head. Shrugging off the blows quickly allowed Cole to duck roll away from Pyrrha's sword and gain some distance.

Pyrrha attacked with darting strikes, never staying in range of Cole's possible electromagnetic field. At the rate the fight was going, neither would win by trading blows that had little effect. Cole knew this and applied a very risky tactic, especially given no Aura meant blades could quite easily pierce his skin. Meeting Pyrrha with his own charge, the Conduit used his metallic wrist to deflect strikes while assaulting his opponent with the Amp in his left hand. Now Cole played a waiting game, adjusting his defence to compensate for Pyrrha's slight polarity movements. The only thing preventing Cole from his winning condition was the incredible guard Pyrrha maintained while attacking. Resorting to a high risk manoeuvre, Cole jabbed with the Amp, skimming off Pyrrha's shield. This left the professor wide open, Pyrrha bashing his left arm with her shield. The Amp flew from Cole's grip, but the closeness in proximity between the two was what Cole wanted. Pyrrha's shield arm now exposed, Cole gripped it tightly. Unable to break the grip, Pyrrha wound her other arm around Cole's right and pressed Milo against his neck. At first she thought her victory through submission was assured, until she felt blade against her own neck. Collective gasps came from the crowd as Pyrrha saw Cole's right arm had opened up to allow a pointed, grey blade extending from Cole's wrist.

"It seems we're at an impasse." Pyrrha stated cautiously, inching her neck a little away from the blade.

Cole grinned. "No, you believe we are. I won this fight the moment I grabbed your wrist."

"What do you- AAAAHHHH!" Electricity coursed through Pyrrha's body as Cole's contact with her arm bypassed her Aura. The champion shook as her body was riddled with Cole's lightning.

Pyrrha slumped in defeat, held up by Cole's grip. "I lured you into your comfort zone. Where your skills are best, but mine are deadliest. I won because I thought ahead rather than adapted with reaction time." Stunned silence greeted Cole's victory. No-one had seen Pyrrha lose, aside from the one food fight. Now the Mistral champion was hanging off Cole's arm heaving for air, her Aura clearly in the red. Cole realised something was off if he could get the drop on Pyrrha like that, so he'd return the favour from a previous conversation. A single bell rang throughout the arena, signifying the end of the class.

"Class is over! Team JNPR come help your teammate. And remember! The dance is coming up tomorrow, so boys grow a pair and make a girl's night." Dragging Pyrrha onto her feet, Cole pulled her to one side and sat her down.

"Before your team gets here, what's on your mind?"

"Pardon?"

"What's on your mind?" Repeated Cole. "You know I can electrocute people by touch. So how did I get away with that victory, hmm?"

Pyrrha stuttered, obvious embarrassment written over her face. "Well… it's…"

"About Jaune?" Completed Cole for Pyrrha, shocking her a little. "Scary how teachers can read their students, eh? Almost like we were ones ourselves once."

Pyrrha sighed in defeat. "I'm sorry for not matching your expectations in the fight."

"Hey, hey. No dodging the subject." Cole redirected, looking over his shoulder as JNPR approached. "Just ask him to the dance, alright?"

Pyrrha smiled slightly. "Got it, sir."

"Good, though don't call me sir too often. Makes me feel old." Cole swivelled on his heels to face the arriving members of JNPR. "She's fine just a little unsteady. Good session though and I'll see you at the dance tomorrow." Without another word from anyone Cole walked between the team and left, on his way to make his own preparations for the dance the next day.

 **Ozpin's Office – The Same Day:**

Never in his time as headmaster had Ozpin been so stressed. On top of having a rather heated argument with General Ironwood over the ethics and implications of secretly creating an artificial, Aura-wielding little girl, Qrow had returned with a report he would have preferred to deal with after the dance. While the presence of the report itself was welcome news; the contents of said report were disturbing. Where to begin? The location? His foes? Their equipment? Each piece of information would have made Ozpin's hair go grey if it wasn't already its rare silver colour. Drinking deeply from his treasured coffee, Ozpin read the report over and over with a concerned look. His foe's plans and endgame was too unclear. Only the knowledge that the Maidens were key shed any light.

An exhausted sigh escaped Ozpin as his office door hissed open. Glynda slowly walked in with her eyes focused on the tablet in her arms. She had also seen Qrow's report, which was most likely the reason for her visit. Looking up from her tablet, she took note of the dark bags under Ozpin's eyes.

"You need to rest, Ozpin. Pushing yourself like this will only add pressure on us." Glynda lectured caringly.

Ozpin nodded slightly, "I know, Glynda. But I'm we have so much information and nothing results from it."

Setting down her tablet, Glynda pulled up a chair and sat in front of Ozpin. "Then think it over after the dance. Acting rashly is James' method."

An agreeing smile graced Ozpin's lips, his eyes finally drifting away from the reports. Resting his mug on his desk, the Headmaster leaned back in his chair comfortably. A long sigh filled the room as he sat back, eyes closing but sleep not taking him just yet.

"Resting until after the dance would do me well. I haven't had a normal conversation ever since Qrow made his report." Glynda could see that age was starting to catch up with the elite Huntsman. While Aura kept even the oldest of warriors in great shape, age was an inescapable effect of life. Protecting the world from more than just the Grimm for an untold number of years was taking its toll on Ozpin, and Glynda wanted to ensure that he was still able to fight while one existed.

"Then I can forfeit some of my own work for one conversation." Glynda offered while relaxing herself.

"No, no… I could not ask you to sacrifice your time for me." Ozpin protested tiredly. "You do more than enough to help me already. Save it for the dance."

"Ozpin, I insist." Pressed Glynda sternly, forcing a conceding sigh from the older professor.

"Alright…" Ozpin mumbled, silence between the two lasting a short while. Glynda sat with her hands folded in her lap patiently, neither adults quite sure how to start a conversation as they were now. Then a topic that could span the night popped up in Glynda's mind.

"Tell me Ozpin. What is your favourite fairy tale?"

* * *

 **Amber's Room – The Next Morning:**

Waking up with a half-metallic arm wrapped around you was something Amber needed some time to get used to. Rolling over she came face to face with Cole deeply sleeping beside her. Ever since she and Cole got together they had ended up sleeping together almost every night, and it brought both of them immense comfort. Glancing over her boyfriend's sleeping form, Amber checked the time before planting a light kiss on Cole's forehead. Cole remained undisturbed so she slipped out from under his arm, setting it down gently. Sliding out of bed, the warmth of the sheets and Cole's body provided a stark contrast to the free air of the room. Her naked body shivered slightly at the difference in temperature. Daintily she tiptoed to her bathroom, closing the door and flicking on the light.

Her hair was a mess and her eyes still held the remains of sleep. Morning routine instilled in her turned on the shower. A continuous stream of hot water softening her muscles and washing away the lethargy. Amber then let out a long moan of relaxation as she rubbed her body down. So absorbed by her shower, Amber failed to notice Cole slip through the door. Silently he watched her wash her tanned skin; unable to take his eyes off her entrancing body or wipe the happy smile off his face. After a little while he decided to make his presence known.

"Shame I can't share the shower with you."

Amber jumped a little before letting out a soft laugh. "You get enough as things already are."

"Hey, a man can dream, alright?" Cole stated, his view getting obscured by the steamed up glass.

Amber giggled at Cole's protests, "Never thought _you'd_ complain given where you're standing right now."

"I just miss some of the simple things, okay." Cole answered.

"Being naked in the shower with your girlfriend is hardly simple." Amber pointed out while shutting off the shower. "Be a gentleman and pass me a towel."

Unable to refuse, Cole passed the nearest towel through to Amber, who made him wait by drying off behind the screen. Eventually Amber stepped out if the shower with the towel wrapped snugly around her body. Slowly Amber approached Cole with an alluring walk, snaking her arms over his shoulders and rewarding him with a strong kiss on the lips. Melting into her soft touch, Cole let his hands wander to her hips and glide over her ass. Now holding her close, Cole pulled Amber in tighter to strengthen the kiss. Pressed together lovingly, the two eventually broke their kiss to catch some breath, large smiles directed at each other.

"That's quite the thank you for passing you a towel." Commented Cole with a grin.

Amber smiled back. "Just a little motivation for tonight. Come on Sparky, we have jobs to do." With her words Amber eased out of Cole's arms and vanished through the bathroom door. Cole didn't bother to argue with the nickname, shaking his head and getting ready for his daily lessons.

* * *

 **Cole's Class – Morning:**

Overall the atmosphere was entirely different to the previous day, excitement for the upcoming dance evident on most of the students' faces. Cole could hear snippets of the conversations from various social groups, but the general theme was partners for the dance. As much as the Conduit wanted to join in on the rumours and chatter, he had to be a responsible adult. Well… most of the time. Today he wanted to push his boundaries by pushing the students to their limits, even with the dance coming up.

"Alright you hormonal teenagers!" Spoke up Cole, immediately getting everyone's attention. "Today I'm going to test how far you can push yourselves."

Instantly Weiss' hand shot up. "Yes, Miss Schnee?" Answered Cole formally.

"I can understand the value of pushing our limits, sir. But on the day of the dance?" Questioned the heiress. Cole understood she was more concerned than most, given her team was organising the dance.

Fortunately Cole had an answer prepped for this occasion. "I don't think your enemies will hold back so you can have some blue-haired boy woo you."

Smothered laughs erupted from the students, Weiss flushing red. "That- but-!" Weiss devolved into stammering and mumbling, a long way from her prim and uptight behaviour at the start of the year.

Cole confidently grinned, "That goes for all of you." The laughter faded out rapidly.

"We could say the same for you, Professor." Jabbed Yang from beside Weiss.

"Maybe…" Cole countered. "But come back once you can beat me then I'll give you that comment, Xiao-Long." Collectives 'oohs' echoed between the students.

Yang just grinned. "I volunteer first, sir." Cole knew Yang was eager to get in a few hits, but the exercise didn't involve much combat.

"I believe I was doing it alphabetically by surname so… no." Ruby patted her sister on the shoulder, who only sulked in a seething rage. Cole looked down at his notes and called up the first participant. "Arc, front and centre."

Nervously Jaune made his way down to the arena, Crocea Mors sheathed at his side. The social pressure of going first was always something that got to those not entirely confident in their abilities. All that said, credit was due to Jaune for the progress he made. Cole may have had more extreme circumstances that forced him to grow rapidly, but Jaune had made way more progress than anyone in a fairly laid back environment compared to Cole's.

"Now, your Semblance is still unknown but… I want you to push as much Aura as you can into an attack and launch it at me." Cole instructed, to which Jaune nodded and drew his sword only. Aura projection had become a sort of forte for the young knight; he adapted to it far quicker than any of the other beginners. Watching Jaune charge up his strike, glowing a blinding white, Cole had another idea.

"Actually, once you've charged up, try giving the attack a different form."

"Like… what?" Jaune questioned with great strain in his voice.

Cole grinned. "Surprise me! Be creative!" Awaiting the attack, Cole flexed his arms before extending them in front of himself. Connecting his thumbs and forefingers by the tips, he had a view of the blond boy while channelling a stronger Polarity Wall. Electricity crackled and shaped into a larger circular shield before Cole, covering his entire front and then some. On the other side of the floor Jaune visibly exerted his Aura, body tensing and radiating. Previously he had only made curved slashes which he angled differently to surprise his opponents. One of those would not best Cole. Pushing more and more of his absurd Aura limit into his blade, Jaune thought of the only way he could overcome the Polarity Wall.

By piercing right through it.

Roaring with effort, Jaune stabbed his blade forward. Pure white Aura formed a spear that soared through the air at Cole. Genuine surprise was written over the professor's face before quickly being replaced with determination. The Polarity Wall became distinctively fuller as the blue electricity linked the circular edge. Both powers collided explosively, Cole straining far more than usual to keep his footing. While the contact only lasted seconds, the aftermath was felt amongst the students for a much longer. Jaune doubled over to recover his breath and stamina, his target still standing but taking solid breaths himself.

"WOOO. GO GREAT LEADER!" Cheered Nora loudly, breaking the silence dramatically.

Cole chuckled, dropped his shield and began clapping slowly. Walking up to Jaune while clapping, he gave the student a strong pat on the back.

"Top marks buddy." Cole praised to Jaune privately, directing the blond back to his seat.

Quickly sauntering over to his notes, Cole called up the next participant. "Blake Belladonna!"

Blake gracefully walked down to the arena, unaware of Cole's intensive but hopefully helpful tactic. Cole smirked as Blake made her way off the steps. The moment one of her feet touched the arena he yelled one word.

"DODGE!"

A lightning bolt struck directly at Blake, the Faunus saving herself by a last second clone. Yet as soon as her foot touched the floor Cole fired again. Another clone took the fall, dissolving into nothing. Now that Blake had caught onto Cole's lesson, she began running. Left and right she strafed, flipping and ducking under bolts that were definitely not missing on purpose. Soon she found the rhythm of his attacks and used that to edge closer. Confident that she could close the gap and end the onslaught, she was caught completely off guard as a bolt hit her mid flip. Rolling along the floor, Blake's Aura supressed the shock, allowing her to substitute with another clone. The routine began again, but Blake noticed that the closer she got, the more Cole narrowed his eyes.

To Blake this seemed strange, but time was running normally for the Cat Faunus. From Cole's perspective he began to take Precision shots as his student closed in. Time slowed to half the speed, enough for Cole to land a hit on Blake if she got close. Slowly but surely Blake caught onto the idea that Cole had a trick for when she got close.

 _If only my clones could move._ Thought Blake as another clone tanked a bolt. She'd never tried it because there was no need. Then it clicked. He had told Jaune to be creative, to think outside the box. Cole wasn't just trying to expand people's limits, he was expanding their creativity to develop what they already had, like him. Juking from side to side Blake pushed more Aura into a clone, willing it to move and behave just like her. She wanted it not to take the hit, but to confuse the Conduit. Exhaustion was setting in through constant exertion, but it was worth it. Jumping forward Blake felt her form split, the Precision bolt cutting through the air between the two versions of Blake. Cole smiled as he witnessed both Blake and her clone weave between each other, the clone taking the bolt as they got within leaping distance.

Blake dashed forward to tag Cole, stumbling at the final hurdle because of a low level in Aura. Fortunately Cole caught the overexerted teen, keeping her on her feet.

"Took a while but I knew you'd figure it out." Complimented Cole as he guided Blake to the seating steps. Letting Blake make her way back to her team with cheers and claps from the rest of the students, Cole once more made his way back to his notes. Seeing the pages of students he had yet to go through, he released a deep sigh.

"It's going to be a long lesson."

* * *

 **One Hour Later:**

Draining electricity never felt so rewarding. Cole had helped the large majority of his students develop some new potential, or at least push them enough to change their outlook on combat. After Jaune and Blake had set the bar quite high, each student after put their full effort into the lesson. Surprisingly Weiss and Pyrrha had not openly developed anything new, but had still pushed their limits. Nora managed to drain enough electricity from Cole to straight up shatter his Polarity Wall with an electrically charged punch; a fact that Cole was both proud and scared of. Ren's Semblance eluded the teen, but his control of Aura shielding had developed massively under the constant barrage of lightning. At one point he produced a weak Aura variant of Cole's Polarity Wall. Ruby somehow managed to split her spiralling dash into three, reforming on the other side of Cole after she bolted straight at him.

But now… it was Yang's turn. Cole had thought over again and again how to improve Yang's Semblance, but no one idea sprang to mind. It was simply too straightforward for him to think up a variant. Expanding her threshold for damage was an option he could not pursue because of the dance in the evening. Mulling over his remaining ideas while reviewing his notes, only one came to mind. Although if this went wrong then Amber would not be happy with him. Standing up straight and spinning to face the students he shouted the one name most had been anticipating.

"Xiao-Long!" Instantly the blonde jumped up from her seat with her typical grin, energetically hopping down the steps and onto the arena in seconds. Her grin turned to confusion as Cole stood in middle of the arena, patiently still. Yang narrowed her eyes at the waiting professor, deciding to see what his game was. After half a minute of no action Yang charged. Reeling back her right fist, Yang lunged at Cole to deliver a powerful punch to the face. Her fist, however, only met air. Without effort Cole had sidestepped the blonde, twirling his body round until he faced Yang again. Recovering quickly, the brawler engaged with a flurry of punches, the first few missing before the rest came into contact with Cole's Polarity Wall.

Obstructed by the shield, Yang resorted to light footwork. Darting from side to side proved fruitless though, as Cole calmly realigned his shield to put it between him and Yang. Every angle she tried did nothing, only fuelling her impatience. She couldn't get through the shield like Nora did because Cole was not fighting back. Only her frustration boosted her strength and it wasn't enough. Frustration that grew once the taunting began.

"You rely too much on your Semblance to gain your victories." Cole lectured.

"No I don't!" Protested Yang angrily, launching multiple shotgun blasts at Cole. "I'm a badass fighter and I have my team!"

Cole raised an eyebrow as he blocked the blasts. "Maybe… but I'm someone you'll never beat. Do you know why?"

Cole's statement infuriated Yang. "I. Will. Beat you!" With each word she punched at Cole hard, meeting his shield every time.

"Because I've learnt that being a powerhouse means jack shit without a brain." Yang stopped and her eye twitched. Cole's words were right, but also seemed like a dig at her. Yang's blood boiled as she began swinging harder and faster. In response Cole timed his counter, driving his electrical shield underneath Yang and flipping her over his head. While the girl was mid-air Cole hit her with a Graviton Blast that suspended the blonde in the air. Struggling was pointless and Cole knew she would be suspended long enough to get his point across.

"You never saw my fight with the staff, did you?" Cole began. "I almost won. Except for one. Important. Factor."

Yang writhed in the air, but still asked the question. "What?"

Cole looked into Yang's eyes sternly. "I was angry. I acted impulsively rather than think things through. Meaning when I _thought_ I won, I let my guard down."

"So?" Argued Yang while dangling upside down.

"So instead of just letting your anger power you up. Redirect it, channel it. And for God's sake use the tricks I taught you in previous lessons." After Cole's words Yang dropped.

"Oof!" Grunted Yang as she hit the floor. Slowly the blonde brawler got to her feet, breathing in and out methodically to cool her temper. Shifting into her boxing stance, Yang bounced on her toes and hyped herself up to re-engage the fight with Cole. Sufficiently amped up, the blonde lunged at Cole with an Aura charged haymaker. Then the class bell rang. On the bell Cole sidestepped his opponent and turned to his class.

"Alright, good lesson ladies and gents." Cole dragged Yang to her feet before continuing to talk to his class. "Have fun at the dance, and… do try to keep your 'romantic' antics on the down low in public."

Yang gawked at her teacher while some students sputtered at his blunt declaration. Cole simply grinned, collecting his notes and strolling out without another word.

"Is he allowed to say that?" Asked an extremely red-faced Pyrrha to everyone around the room, receiving only silence from her classmates.

* * *

 **I kind of denied Yang there, but I'm evil like that.**

 **Not much to say other than I will try to get a new chapter out soon. I still have Duty of a Sentinel going on, and the Jak and Daxter mega chapter is looking good but not finished yet.**

 **Otherwise thanks for all your support and I will see you soon!**

 **Wardtortle, out!**


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